Noriega had him removed because of his advocacy of an investigation into the grisly dismemberment of a Noriega critic, Dr. Hugo Spadafora. (Sosa, 32)
The American government protested the removal of Barletta, who was the first elected president of Panama since the 1968 coup, and warned Noriega to stop drug trafficking; Noriega's response was to denounce Washington for meddling in Panamanian affairs, giving no sign of willingness to return the government to civilian control. He remained commander of the Panama Defense Forces and refused to relinquish power while he continued to engage in or foster election fraud, drug trafficking, money- laundering, espionage against the United States, and even murder.
Noriega acquired a highly unsavory image in the American press consequently. However, matters became more complicated with the disclosure that Noriega had been an agent in the pay of the U.S. Army and th
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