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Panamanian Public Forces
The Panamanian Public Forces (Spanish: Fuerza Pública de la República de Panamá, FPP) are the national security forces of Panama. Panama is the second country in Latin America (the other being Costa Rica) to abolish its standing army, with Panama retaining a small paramilitary security force. This came as a result of a U.S. invasion that overthrew a military dictatorship which ruled Panama from 1968 to 1989. The final military dictator, Manuel Noriega, had been belligerent toward the U.S. culminating in the killing of a U.S. Marine lieutenant and U.S. invasion ordered by U.S. President George H. W. Bush.
Panama maintains armed police and internal security forces, and small air and maritime forces. They are tasked with law enforcement and can perform limited military actions. Since 2010 they have reported to the Ministry of Public Security.
Panama's first army was formed in 1903 when the commander of a brigade of the Colombian army defected to the pro-separation side during Panama's fight for separation from Colombia. His brigade became the Panamanian army. The force was commanded by General Esteban Huertas, who in 1904 tried to overthrow President Manuel Amador Guerrero, but failed. The United States persuaded Panama that a standing army could threaten the security of the Panama Canal Zone. Instead, Panama set up a "National Police." For 48 years, this was the only armed force in Panama. The original small police force was merged into the new organization, and for many years the National Police had a strength of around 1,000 men.
Starting in the late 1930s, the National Police attracted several new recruits who had attended military academies in other Latin American countries. Combined with increased spending on the police, this began a process of militarization. The process sped up under José Remón, who became the Police's commandant (commanding officer) in 1947. He had graduated from Mexico's military academy. He began promoting fewer enlisted men to officer rank, giving the police a more military character.
After playing a role in overthrowing two presidents, Remón resigned his commission and ran for president for a coalition that won the elections in 1952. One of his first acts as president was to reorganize the National Police along military lines with a new name, Guardia Nacional de Panamá (National Guard of Panamá). The new grouping retained police functions as well. With a new name came increased American funding. The United States provided training to National Guard personnel in the Canal Zone, and American assistance during the 1950s and 1960s led to the professionalization of the Guard. Officers were increasingly academy graduates instead of former "street cops" promoted from the ranks. The total force had 5,000 men.
In 1968, the Guard overthrew President Arnulfo Arias in a a coup d'état led by Major Boris Martínez and others, including then Major Omar Torrijos, after the newly elected Arias forced senior officers into retirement or assignments in distant provinces by presidential order. They completed the process of converting the Guard into a full-fledged army. In the process, they promoted themselves to full colonels. In 1969, Torrijos thrust Martínez aside, promoted himself to brigadier general, and was the de facto ruler of Panama until his death in a 1981 plane crash.
After Torrijos' death, and two successive commanders with lesser political influence, the position was eventually assumed by Manuel Noriega, who restructured all of the National Guard's military and police forces under his command, into the Fuerzas de Defensa de Panamá (Panama Defense Forces). He built the FDP into a structured force, and further consolidated his political power. Under Noriega, the FDP was more a tool of political control, than a force dedicated to national defense and law enforcement.
Besides consolidating his grasp on power by increasing military forces and spending, Noriega increased the power and influence of the PDF Military Intelligence Section (G-2 for its standard military designation), which he commanded prior his rise to power. It became a secret police, feared even inside the PDF ranks. He relied on several loyal military units, like the 7th Inf Co. "Macho de Monte" (Mountain Men, a guerrilla warfare unit named after an aggressive wild boar), the 1st Public Order Co. "Doberman" (a riot police force), the UESAT (Unidades Especiales de Servicio Anti Terror), an Israeli trained counter-terrorism strike force.
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Panamanian Public Forces
The Panamanian Public Forces (Spanish: Fuerza Pública de la República de Panamá, FPP) are the national security forces of Panama. Panama is the second country in Latin America (the other being Costa Rica) to abolish its standing army, with Panama retaining a small paramilitary security force. This came as a result of a U.S. invasion that overthrew a military dictatorship which ruled Panama from 1968 to 1989. The final military dictator, Manuel Noriega, had been belligerent toward the U.S. culminating in the killing of a U.S. Marine lieutenant and U.S. invasion ordered by U.S. President George H. W. Bush.
Panama maintains armed police and internal security forces, and small air and maritime forces. They are tasked with law enforcement and can perform limited military actions. Since 2010 they have reported to the Ministry of Public Security.
Panama's first army was formed in 1903 when the commander of a brigade of the Colombian army defected to the pro-separation side during Panama's fight for separation from Colombia. His brigade became the Panamanian army. The force was commanded by General Esteban Huertas, who in 1904 tried to overthrow President Manuel Amador Guerrero, but failed. The United States persuaded Panama that a standing army could threaten the security of the Panama Canal Zone. Instead, Panama set up a "National Police." For 48 years, this was the only armed force in Panama. The original small police force was merged into the new organization, and for many years the National Police had a strength of around 1,000 men.
Starting in the late 1930s, the National Police attracted several new recruits who had attended military academies in other Latin American countries. Combined with increased spending on the police, this began a process of militarization. The process sped up under José Remón, who became the Police's commandant (commanding officer) in 1947. He had graduated from Mexico's military academy. He began promoting fewer enlisted men to officer rank, giving the police a more military character.
After playing a role in overthrowing two presidents, Remón resigned his commission and ran for president for a coalition that won the elections in 1952. One of his first acts as president was to reorganize the National Police along military lines with a new name, Guardia Nacional de Panamá (National Guard of Panamá). The new grouping retained police functions as well. With a new name came increased American funding. The United States provided training to National Guard personnel in the Canal Zone, and American assistance during the 1950s and 1960s led to the professionalization of the Guard. Officers were increasingly academy graduates instead of former "street cops" promoted from the ranks. The total force had 5,000 men.
In 1968, the Guard overthrew President Arnulfo Arias in a a coup d'état led by Major Boris Martínez and others, including then Major Omar Torrijos, after the newly elected Arias forced senior officers into retirement or assignments in distant provinces by presidential order. They completed the process of converting the Guard into a full-fledged army. In the process, they promoted themselves to full colonels. In 1969, Torrijos thrust Martínez aside, promoted himself to brigadier general, and was the de facto ruler of Panama until his death in a 1981 plane crash.
After Torrijos' death, and two successive commanders with lesser political influence, the position was eventually assumed by Manuel Noriega, who restructured all of the National Guard's military and police forces under his command, into the Fuerzas de Defensa de Panamá (Panama Defense Forces). He built the FDP into a structured force, and further consolidated his political power. Under Noriega, the FDP was more a tool of political control, than a force dedicated to national defense and law enforcement.
Besides consolidating his grasp on power by increasing military forces and spending, Noriega increased the power and influence of the PDF Military Intelligence Section (G-2 for its standard military designation), which he commanded prior his rise to power. It became a secret police, feared even inside the PDF ranks. He relied on several loyal military units, like the 7th Inf Co. "Macho de Monte" (Mountain Men, a guerrilla warfare unit named after an aggressive wild boar), the 1st Public Order Co. "Doberman" (a riot police force), the UESAT (Unidades Especiales de Servicio Anti Terror), an Israeli trained counter-terrorism strike force.
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