American style "justice" shattered the ground, "Looking Back at Shi Hai: Invasion of Panama, USA | Panama | Justice

At the end of 1989 to the beginning of 1990, the United States invaded Panama under the guise of human rights and drug control, and fought a blitzkrieg called "Justice Cause". The US military defeated the defending forces of the Panamanian army in just 15 hours, overthrew the Panamanian government, and spent another 15 days arresting former Panamanian government leader Noriega and bringing him back to the United States for trial. Despite the withdrawal of the US military from Panama, this invasion still brought shame to the term "justice". On a material level, war left Panama with tens of thousands of refugees and dilapidated cities. On a spiritual level, the US military controls news and public opinion, glorifying the aggressive war... The Panamanian people have endured years of pain and deception.

Powell's calculations

On the early morning of December 20, 1989, the United States dispatched nearly 30000 soldiers to invade Panama. In addition to attacking military facilities, the US military also bombed multiple residential areas in Panama City, causing heavy casualties among the local population. After the Panamanian regular army gave up resistance, the US military increased its troops and brutally suppressed the spontaneous militia resistance organization in Panama. The US combat forces withdrew from Panama in March 1990. The war left a mess in the local area. Some locals describe the bombed community as "Hiroshima after being bombed by an atomic bomb"... Due to the US military's manipulation of the news and public opinion, there is no detailed report on the number of casualties among Panamanian civilians. It was only later reported that thousands of Panamanians died in this war.

In December 1989, the US military stood in front of a destroyed building that belonged to the Panamanian military.

In 2017, an article in the American media Jacob magazine mentioned how the US military "took away the truth" during the Panama War, leaving only lies for the people of Panama and the world. Firstly, when planning the invasion of Panama, the US military used a tactic of deceiving the world and stealing names, calling the invasion a "just cause". According to reports, the name "Justice Cause" was proposed by Colin Powell, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States. He once explained the reason for the naming as follows: even if our enemies condemn it, they have to call it "Justice Cause". Secondly, the US military's offensive strategy is also very deceptive. The bombing only targeted the military camps and individual impoverished areas in Panama, to the point where the wealthy and middle class with voice in Panama lived, and even the existence of war was not felt. According to media reports, the wealthy in Panama seem to have watched a fireworks display. Even residents of affluent areas welcome the arrival of the US military, truly believing that they are here for "human rights and justice.". Regarding this, the media controlled by the US military conducted focused coverage, and some media that were deceived by the US military also followed suit.

The journalist was shot dead in front of everyone's eyes

In fact, the actions of the US military are completely unrelated to justice. On the one hand, Panama's troubles were entirely caused by the United States. The United States has been deeply involved in Panama affairs for many years, even resorting to military force, which is well-known for the Panama Canal. The Isthmus of Panama, where the canal is located, originally belonged to Colombia. In order to achieve the goal of occupying the canal, the United States instigated Panama to independence from Colombia, designated a canal exclusive zone around the canal, and established military bases. The US military even established the headquarters of its southern army in Panama. On the other hand, the US military's intervention in Panama is also for personal gain. Noriega was originally supported by the United States, but when he demanded that the canal be placed under Panama's management, the Americans decisively attacked and destroyed Noriega's rule.

Unlike during the Vietnam War, the United States allowed journalists to travel with the military. When the US invaded Panama, strict press controls were implemented, and at that time there were no newspapers published in Panama. In addition, journalists from various countries not only cannot act arbitrarily, but also must obtain news materials from US military news agencies. So, at that time, all the news related to the Panama War was intentionally released by the US military. According to reports, a Spanish photographer named Rodriguez at the time disregarded the US military's ban on taking and publishing photos of the true situation of the war. On December 21, 1989, outside the Marriott Hotel in Panama, Rodriguez was hit and killed by a bullet in front of everyone. The Associated Press claimed that the US military stationed inside the hotel at the time, as well as the US military in armored vehicles approaching the hotel outside, mistakenly believed that the other party was the Panamanian army and opened fire on each other. During the firefight, three journalists, including Rodriguez, were hit outside the hotel, and two others were injured.

In June 1990, according to The New York Times, Rodriguez's family filed a lawsuit against the US military, demanding that they take responsibility for Rodriguez's death and provide compensation. Spanish Foreign Ministry officials also urged the US military to uncover the truth in their speeches. A Spanish official pointed out that the information provided by the US military regarding the incident is incomplete, implying that the US is intentionally concealing certain things. As expected, the lawsuit ultimately came to an end, and no one in the US military was responsible for Rodriguez's death. In another high-profile lawsuit, former Panamanian leader Noriega was found guilty by a US court and sentenced to prison.

Panama justifies heroes

In a 2013 report by the American media "Consortium News", it was written that the United States overthrew the Noriega regime under the guise of drug control, but from the consequences of the war, this did not have any positive impact on the flow of drugs from South America to the United States through Central America. Ironically, after the United States destroyed Noriega, Panama's economy and people's livelihoods were in a difficult situation, which instead stimulated the development of drug trafficking. In addition, under the unremitting struggle of the Panamanian people, Panama finally regained its jurisdiction and operational authority over the Panama Canal on the last day of the 20th century. In the past century, the Panamanian government and people could only receive a fraction of the canal revenue from the United States.

The shadow of the aggressive war has not been forgotten by the people of Panama. In 2014, Panama filmed a documentary called "Invasion", which documented the aggressive war launched by the United States in the form of people's memories. The deceitful methods of the United States can be concealed for a while, but not for a lifetime. Once, when the United States invaded Panama, it falsely accused some Panamanian soldiers and civilians who bravely resisted as Noriega's private armed forces. After more than 30 years, Panama finally renamed these national heroes who resisted American invasion, and some of them were buried in the Martyrs Cemetery. In April 2022, after 33 years of US invasion of Panama, Panama designated December 20th as a national day of mourning to commemorate its compatriots who died under US artillery fire.

Media analysis suggests that the US invasion of Panama had a groundbreaking watershed significance. Starting from this war, the US military, which had no worries after the Cold War, began a blitzkrieg mode of using absolute force to suppress the enemy. Moreover, the act of arresting and interrogating leaders of other countries also opened a historical precedent. According to reports, during Noriega's trial in 1992, a US congressman warned that "international relations must be based on rationality... This approach is not feasible if the US wants to win the respect of other countries.".