Noriega's Future Captivates Panama

Former Dictator's Prison Term Is Over; Faces Extradition To France Or Return To Panama

(Christian Science Monitor)  This article was written by Sara Miller Llana.

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The end of Manuel Noriega's U.S. prison term - and the former Panamanian dictator's possible extradition to France on money-laundering charges - has reopened a polarizing chapter for Panamanians.

Noriega, once one of the most hailed informants of the Central Intelligence Agency, fell from grace in the 1980s amid charges of drug-running, rigged elections, and repression. After the U.S.-led invasion of Panama on Dec. 20, 1989, dubbed "Operation Just Cause," he served more than 15 years in a federal detention center in Miami and was due for release last Sunday.

But his fate is uncertain. France wants him extradited on money-laundering charges, which would mean up to 10 years in prison. His lawyers have asked that he be sent home to Panama as a prisoner-of-war, where he faces more severe charges of embezzlement, corruption, and murder here. He will stay in U.S. custody until the conclusion of the appeals process over the French extradition request, which experts expect him to lose.


Many Panamanians Want Noriega Home

In Panama, the legal wrangle has yielded a barrage of TV documentaries and commentary on his reign and his ultimate fate. Most Panamanians say they want him home and the chapter closed forever.

"If we don't forget, we will be worse still," says Roberto Hazlewood, a lifelong resident of El Chorrillo, the neighborhood that bore the brunt of the 1989 invasion. "He is a Panamanian; he should come back and face what he did here. If he goes to France, when he is ready to be released there, it will all start over again."

Hazlewood, like many residents throughout the city, says he would like Noriega home as a matter of justice. Noriega's friends and allies want him in Panama for a different reason: They say he has served long enough.

"He represents no political threat; he just wants to be with his grandchildren and die in his land," says retired Maj. Jose Trujillo, who served alongside Noriega in the military.

"He's like Alka-Seltzer," he continues. "He will make a big splash, and then it will all fizzle."

That the end of Noriega's prison term has led to such fury and soul-searching is a sign to some observers that the country is not ready for his return. Some Panamanians are worried that he could be a destabilizing figure in a country that has become a regional economic powerhouse and is hailed for its relative stability and security.

"It demonstrates that our democracy is not sufficiently mature," says Edwin Cabrera, a political analyst and radio journalist in Panama.