In Panama, the fall of Maduro brings back memories of the US invasion in 1989

"On January 3, Panama woke up with the strange sensation of looking in a mirror. During the early hours of the morning while the world tried to process the details about the capture of Nicolas Maduro, as a result of a U.S. military operation the country that is home to the Panama Canal once again delved into a wound that, 36 years later, remains open: the 1989 U.S. invasion."

"At midnight on December 20, 1989, the United States military offensive was deployed simultaneously, by land and by air. Helicopters, fighter jets and special forces took over strategic points in the capital and its surroundings, while entire neighborhoods woke up to the roar of explosions and gunshots. The objective was to put an end to the regime and capture the dictator, Manuel Antonio Noriega. He surrendered just days later, also on January 3, a coincidence that returns an unfinished story to the present."

"For a nation without an army one which manages a strategic sea lane for global trade the operation in Venezuela brought up an uncomfortable question: what room to maneuver does Panama have when the United States decides to act in its own backyard? Every so often, this question resurfaces. On January 20 the one-year anniversary of Donald Trump's return to the White House the U.S. president avoided answering a question about whether his intention to take back the Panama Canal was still on the table."

Panama experienced a strong sense of déjà vu after the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, recalling the 1989 U.S. invasion. The 1989 operation began at midnight on December 20 with coordinated land and air assaults; helicopters, fighter jets and special forces seized strategic points while neighborhoods awoke to explosions and gunfire. The stated objective was to end the regime and capture Manuel Antonio Noriega, who surrendered days later on January 3. The coincidence revived concerns about Panama's limited defensive capacity, the strategic vulnerability of the Panama Canal, and renewed questions after public remarks about U.S. intentions.

Read at english.elpais.com