The U.S. Invasion of Panama and Israel’s Invasion of Gaza are similar. The Panama Deception revisited.

The atrocities inflicted by Hamas on Israelis were outright terrorism. It was the murder of our innocent Jewish brothers and sisters. Like the U.S. invasion of Panama, that event was used as an excuse for an ulterior goal.

The IDF’s mass killing of innocent Palestinians and the destruction of schools, hospitals, churches, mosques, and other infrastructure has had a visceral effect on my psyche. I have spoken about the similarities between the invasion of Panama and Gaza on many of my radio programs, each time with my blood pressure going sky high.

I was in the United States in 1989 but had visited Panama the prior year during Christmas, the time Bush chose to invade. Seeing the flattening of El Chorrillo, parts of Colon, and bombed-out buildings throughout several cities that I have visited with family in the comfort of my U.S. home was difficult.

The complete disregard for the lives of “the other” by the U.S. and our allies throughout the world creates PTSD events for many, yours truly inclusive. This is not a naive ignoring of evil terrorists and oppressors around the world. But how different are those who mow down the many innocent to get those few?

When President H.W. Bush died while others were deifying him, I could not help but write the article titled “I see George H.W. Bush through my Panamanian eyes, and the deaths he caused were unforgivable.”

I received an email from a new friend, Frank Dorrel, publisher and distributor of the anti-war comic book ADDICTED TO WAR: Why The U.S. Can’t Kick Militarism. After seeing some of my interviews, he wanted to introduce me to his work. Given that he knew that I was a Panamanian expatriate, he pointed me to the documentary The Panama Deception, which shows the eerie similarity between Netanyahu’s inhumanity in Gaza and the United States inhumanity in Panama, indiscriminate bombing and killing of a civilian population to capture a few terrorists and a dictator respectively. I had seen the documentary before but had to watch it again in its entirety. The feelings are still raw, and it is likely the reason the Gaza killings are so impactful on my psyche.

The Panama Deception

• On December 19th, 1989, the United States mobilized 26,000 troops for a surprise midnight attack on Panama, aiming to minimize property damage and casualties. Despite the efforts, the invasion resulted in thousands of deaths and significant destruction, with millions of US tax dollars spent in just three days.
• The US government justified the invasion as a mission to capture General Manuel Noriega, portrayed as a “narco-terrorist.” The mainstream media largely echoed this narrative without critical analysis. However, the invasion served broader strategic goals, including a testing ground for the Persian Gulf War and setting a precedent for future interventions.
• The invasion had severe humanitarian impacts. Many civilians were killed, and thousands were left homeless, forced into makeshift shelters or bombed-out buildings. The US military’s actions included setting fires to homes and detaining or killing civilians. Media access was tightly controlled, and local journalists faced arrests or dismissals.
• The aftermath revealed mass graves and widespread devastation, contradicting official US casualty figures. Human rights organizations estimated significantly higher civilian deaths than the US military’s report of 250. The invasion violated international law and the Geneva Conventions, as it involved indiscriminate acts of violence against civilians.
• Politically, the invasion aimed to dismantle the Panamanian Defense Forces and install a pro-US government. President Guillermo Endara, seen as a puppet of the US, implemented constitutional amendments to prevent Panama from having a military. The US’s true objectives included securing control over the Panama Canal and maintaining regional dominance.

Do we have the moral authority to criticize other powers that perpetrate crimes against humanity? Sometimes, reality and our past, when thrown in our faces, cannot help but paralyze our actions.