Difference between revisions 133486240 and 133486241 on dewiki

{{Military
| color=#99CCFF
| country= Panama
| image= [[Image:Flag_of_Panama.svg|200px]] 
| caption=
| age= 85 years
| availability='''''Males age 15-49:''''' 761,568 (2000 est.)
| service='''''Males age 15-49:''''' 521,487 (2000 est.)
| reaching age='''''Males:''''' 344,575 (2005 est.)
| active= 432,800
| branches= Servicio Aereo Nacional<br>([[Air force|National Air Service]])<br>Servicio Maritimo Nacional ([[Navy|National Maritime Service]])<br>Policia Nacional<br>([[Army|National Police and Army]])
| amount= USD 132 million
| percent GDP=1.6% (FY97)
}}

[[Panama]] is one of the two countries in [[Latin America]] (the other being [[Costa Rica]]) that have permanently abolished standing military forces.  This came as a result of a US invasion that overthrew a [[military dictatorship]] which ruled the country from [[1968]] to [[1989]]. The final military dictator, Manuel Noriega, had greatly embarassed the US president, the first George Bush, when American media exposed his long history of drug trafficking with US government knowledge. Many American conservatives had also long been hostile to Panama's military dictators because, in contrast to most Latin American dictators who favored the political right and longstanding wealthy white eliin the United States, Panama's military dictators were leftists, populists, and shared power with and enacted many programs to benefit Panama's poor, Blacks, Indians, and mixed race cholos.

==History==
===The National Police===
Panama's first army was formed in [[1903]], when the commander of a brigade of the [[Colombia|Colombian]] army defected to the pro-independence side during Panama's fight for independence.  In [[1904]], the army tried to overthrow the government, but failed.  The [[United States]] persuaded Panama that a standing army could threaten the security of the [[Panama Canal Zone]].  Instead, the country set up a "National Police."  For 48 years, this was(contracted; show full)* ''Military Foundations of Panamanian Politics,'' Robert C. Harding, Transaction Publishing, 2001.
* ''The History of Panama,'' Robert C. Harding, Greenwood Publishing, 2006.


{{North America in topic|Military of}}
{{South America in topic|Military of}}
 
[[Category:Military of Panama| ]]