Instant Alert: Who was Manuel Noriega? How the Panamanian dictator went from being a secret ally to an enemy of the US

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   Who was Manuel Noriega? How the Panamanian dictator went from being a secret ally to an enemy of the US by Veronika Bondarenko on May 30, 2017, 11:53 AM Advertisement Before getting overthrown by the American government, Manuel Antonio Noriega was paid to spy for the CIA. On May 29, the former Panamanian dictator died after leaving prison briefly to receive surgery for a benign tumor in his brain. Over the last three decades, Noriega went from working as a CIA informant to spending years in US prison. Here's what you need to know about the complicated and flip-flopping Central American figure who finished the last years of his life between American, French, and Panamanian jails: SEE ALSO: How North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, 33, became one of the world's scariest dictators DON'T MISS: Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega dies at 83 Before coming to power, Noriega served as head of Panama's secret police. Through the role, he worked closely with the American CIA. Source: Al Jazeera From 1967 to 1988, Noriega spent more than a decade on the CIA's payroll for helping the US install listening posts to monitor activity around the Panama Canal. Sources: Time, The Guardian After promoting himself to the rank of military general, Manuel Antonio Noriega served as the leader of Panama from 1983 to 1989. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011