Panama's Noriega May
Walk Soon
Panamanians are waiting
Friday for the US
judge's decision
regarding France's
demand of extradition
for Manuel Antonio
Noriega or his
repatriation to Panama.
The man who ruled
Panamania politics
between 1983 and 1989,
the chief of the
disappeared Defense
Forces, former general
arrested by US invading
troops and sent to
Miami, was chained up
and sentenced to 40
years in prison.
For his good conduct the
sentence was reduced to
17 years for
collaborating with the
fight against drug
trafficking to US and he
will be released next
September 9.
Only two weeks left
before his release and
Judge William Hoeveler
must announce his
decision in Miami saying
whether Manuel Noriega
is considered a prisoner
of war.
Ironically Hoeveler was
the one who imposed that
condition in the 1990's
trial and now Noriega's
lawyers are demanding
his repatriation, by
virtue of the Geneva
Convention.
France is demanding "The
Man", as he was also
called, to make him
serve 10 years in prison
for money laundering and
a pending case in Panama
of at least two
sentences of twenty
years in prison for
crime tried in absentia.
This Friday it will be
announced whether The
Man will be really sent
to France or go back to
Panama.
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