Manuel Noriega :: essays research papers

Playing All Sides Of the FenceManuel Noriega, the former dictator of the Central the Statesn country of Panama, rose to power through the art of destruction deception and detail. Manuel Noriega was able to profit and flourish as Panama&8217s new drawing card because of the Cold War environment. Due to the Cold War, its geographical positioning, and financial liberties, Noriega was able to manipulate all parties involved while making him very wealthy, powerful, a governmental asset, and finally a threat to the United States National Security. Manuel Noriega was born in 1934 in Panama City, Panama. Noriega grew up very poor and could not afford some(prenominal) high level of education. Like most who could not afford schooling he attended a military college in Peru. His schooling in Peru would at long last give him his start to gaining contacts, friends, and most importantly American connections. To understand Noriega&8217s rise to power first you must understand the environment in w hich he did so. After World War II a communist movement began to slowly spread throughout the world. This went against America&8217s belief in res publica and created a riff between the Soviet Union and The United States creating the Cold War. What importance does this have to Noriega and Panama? On January 1, 1959 Fidel Castro led a successful takeover against the government in Cuba which at the time was controlled by Fulgencio Batista. By Castro taking control of the Cuban government, he placed communism within a contiguous range of America. This was important because it was feared by most Americans that this takeover by Castro would lead a domino effect throughout Central America, and third world countries save extending the arm of Communism and the reach of the Soviet Union.During the same time Castro took control of Cuba, Noriega was in the Peruvian military school. America fearing that these third world military schools would be a breeding ground for future communist leade rs, implanted many agents to keep watch over them. One of these recruitment&8217s would be Manuel Noriega. America first employed Noriega in these early years to inform them on the schools leftist teachings and slowly helped and inspired him to become one of America&8217s take up assets and later their worst enemy.After returning home to Panama, Noriega furthered his studies by taking courses in America and also at American bases in Panama. Some of his courses include &8220military engineering, jungle engineering, and counter insurgency Battle (Kempe 58).