Panama Commemorates National Day of Mourning for 1989 U.S. Invasion

December 20th is commemorated in Panama as a National Day of Mourning to mark the 1989 U.S. invasion. This date was established by a law signed in 2022 by President Laurentino Cortizo. The invasion, codenamed 'Operation Just Cause,' was launched to depose General Manuel Antonio Noriega. Under the pretext of safeguarding American lives, protecting the Panama Canal treaties, restoring democracy, and combating drug trafficking, 26,000 U.S. troops invaded Panama. The primary objective was the capture of Noriega, whom the U.S. accused of ties to drug cartels. Noriega, a former CIA agent, was captured and later sentenced to prison in the United States. Official figures report 202 civilian and 314 military deaths, the majority of whom were Panamanian. However, unofficial estimates suggest much higher civilian casualties, ranging from 500 to 4,000. Historians note that by the time of the invasion, debates over the upcoming transfer of the canal's control were causing significant tension between the two nations. Some experts consider the invasion of Panama to have been a rehearsal for the subsequent war in Iraq. As former Colonel Roberto Díaz Herrera stated, the number of troops mobilized to capture one man was 'a whole exaggeration.'