Panama, 1988 — military coup attempt

Event Summary

On 16 March 1988 the Panamanian police chief Colonel Leonidas Macias led a coup attempt against the de facto ruler of Panama, General Manuel Noriega, aiming to seize the central military headquarters and topple the strongman who by then was under mounting United States pressure and had been indicted on drug trafficking charges by American courts. The attempt, which came after three weeks of protests by public sector workers over unpaid wages amid a deepening economic crisis, was allegedly encouraged by the United States. Macias tried to rally the 4th Infantry Company and riot police leaders to his side, but the security forces remained loyal to Noriega, and by early morning the elite Battalion 2000 had secured the headquarters and crushed the revolt.

The roughly ten officers involved, including Macias, were arrested and forced into retirement. Noriega reasserted control, replacing his police chief and cracking down on the media, though the failed coup fed further unrest, looting, and protest in Panama City. Noriega clung to power until the United States invaded Panama in December 1989 and captured him.