ABSTRACT
The Torrijos regime came to an end in 1981 with the death of Omar Torrijos, but as early as 1976, pressured by external and internal forces; the state had partially lost its autonomy. Since Torrijos's death and until Manuel Antonio Noriega's ouster in 1989, those in control of Panama have been primarily interested in enhancing their personal power and riches. A regrettable aspect of the way the history of Panama has unfolded in this decade is that that Noriega is no longer in power, analysts are looking at the period of "military," or "National Guard," rule without making a distinction between the Torrijos regime and the period that followed. Dr. Hugo Spadafora had been vice-minister of health in the 1970s and had headed a Panamanian brigade that fought with the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. Florencio Flores became commander in chief immediately after Torrijos's death but retired a few months later when he reached the mandatory retiring age.
