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Panama

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Parent Issue
Month
May
Year
1989
Copyright
Creative Commons (Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share-alike)
Rights Held By
Agenda Publications
OCR Text

PANAMA

MAY 7 ELECTION PITS NORIEGA AGAINST U.S.

by Eric Jackson

Panama will go to the polls on May 7 to decide a three-way presidential race which pits Noriega-backed legislator Carlos Duque against the two opposition hopefuls, lawyers Guillermo Endara and Hildebrando Nicosia. The president and his two vice presidents will be elected to a four-year term.

The Noriega-backed National Liberation Coalition (COLINA) is a center-left alliance whose presidential candidate is Carlos Duque. Duque's family owns Panama's largest newspaper. La Estrella. He is a member of the National Assembly . His running mate for first vice president is Ramon Sieiros, Noriega's brother-in-law. Duque's running mate for second vice president is Aquilino Boyd, an old diplomat from a wealthy shipping family.

The U.S. is unofficially backing the Democratic Opposition Alliance (ADO), a center-right coalition. Its presidential candidate, Guillermo Endara, is a lawyer and political unknown whose background is with the fascistic Panameñista Autentico party of Arnulfo Arias. He was selected largely because he has little political baggage. His running mate for first vice president is Christian Democratic leader Ricardo Arias, a professor tainted by ties to the U.S. The ADO's second vice-presidential candidate is Guillermo Ford, past president of the Chamber of Commerce.

The third presidential candidate and potential spoiler is Hildebrando Nicosia, a lawyer who defeated Endara's backers in a contest for control of the Panameñista Autentico party . Nicosia represents the far right wing of Panama's wealthy oligarchy. His running mate for first vice president is Emiliano Aguilar, a member of the National Assembly. His running mate for second vice president is Alfonso Diaz, a businessman and crony of Arnulfo Arias.

Most Panamanians would like to see the de facto head of Panama's government, General Manuel Antonio Noriega, leave office. Yet most Panamanians do not approve of the opposition, which is a despised wealthy elite that owes its primary allegiance to the United States.

The Crisis

A crisis has been brewing since the 1984 elections, which were stolen from the late Arnulfo Arias by Noriega and the Electoral Commission on behalf of Nicolas Barletta. Barletta's tenure of presidency ended soon after the September 1985 murder of former Panamanian health minister Hugo Spadafora. This led to accusations that Noriega ordered the assassination. President Barletta's promise of an inquiry into the Spadafora affair, along with unpopular economie policies, led Noriega to oust Barletta and install Eric Delvalle in the Presidential Palace later that same month.

June 1987 brought a split in the Panama Defense Forces command into the open, when Col. Roberto Diaz was removed as Noriega's second-in-command. Diaz then publicly denounced his superior for alleged involvement in several political murders and a visa-selling scam . Anti-Noriega demonstrators hit the streets. That fall. Panama's second vice president, Enrique Esquivel, split with Noriega.

After U.S. drug indictments of Noriega by two Florida grand juries in February 1988, Delvalle met with U.S. Undersecretary of State for Latin American Affairs, Elliott Abrams. On Feb. 23, Delvalle and Noriega met, each demanding the other's resignation. On Feb. 24, the National Assembly sided with Noriega and impeached Delvalle. Strikes and demonstrations peaked in March. The opposition, led by the Chamber of Commerce, was hurt by splits, arrests, censorship, the exile of leaders and public disgust with its ties to U.S. actions against Panama.

The opposition had been quiet since May 1988. It is now running in the May 7, 1989 elections for the presidency and national assembly. As AGENDA went to press, the mainstream press was reporting that George Bush, with the approval of congressional intelligence committees, authorized a CIA slush fund of some $10 million for the opposition's campaign. While this money could give Noriega's opponents the edge, the revelation of its existence could be politically fatal for its recipients.

Panama suffers most of the ailments common to other heavily-indebted third world economies. All aid, payments of canal revenues and rents owed to Panama under the 1977 canal treaties, payments of taxes withheld from Panamanian employees of the U.S. military and the canal, and Panamanian access to funds in U.S. banks have been cut off by the U.S. And trade sanctions have been imposed. As a result, billions of dollars have been divested from Panama's economy. The U.S. vows to continue its hostility until Noriega no longer commands Panama's military.

U.S. and opposition sources claim that fraud is in the works for the May 7 elections. Some observers warn that a widespread public perception of fraud may lead to civil war. Conversely, acceptance of the results by the Panamanian public and Defense Forces would do much to ease tension. If the Bush administration also accepts the election results, a way out of the crisis would be open.

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