For families of victims of the U.S. invasion of Panama, the fight for justice continues-Xinhua

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PANAMA CITY, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- More than three decades after the United States invaded Panama, the families of victims continue to suffer from the wounds inflicted by the tragic event.

Among them is Trinidad Ayola.

Ayola, president of the Association of Relatives and Friends of the Fallen on December 20 and whose husband was killed by U.S. invasion forces, says the pain and injustices of the 1989 military incursion will always haunt her.

Families suffered both emotionally and financially during the invasion, she told Xinhua, detailing how the dead were denied proper burials and the population was prevented from accessing their bank accounts.

"There were so many bodies that they cremated them, and the Americans themselves also cremated bodies," she said of the contemptible way the victims were treated.

In addition, "they blocked us. The savings that were in the banks -- one could withdraw them," Ayola recalled, describing a country plunged into chaos.

"Remembering the invasion is very unpleasant because all this tragedy comes to mind: the absence of our relatives ... It will always feel like it was yesterday. I have to live with that pain all my life," she said.

The U.S. invasion of Panama, dubbed "Operation Just Cause" by Washington, began on Dec. 20, 1989, and continued into January 1990, with the stated objective of capturing Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega on charges of drug trafficking and organized crime.

More than 26,000 American troops participated in the operation, which resulted in Noriega's arrest and the dissolution of the Panamanian Armed Forces. The invasion significantly impacted the history of the Central American country, causing an undetermined number of victims and political fallout.

The association Ayola leads is dedicated to honoring and remembering the victims of the invasion, supporting their families, and seeking justice and recognition for their loss.

It organizes commemorative events, community activities and campaigns to raise awareness of the victims' sacrifices while advocating for official recognition of the damage and reparation for the loss.

Ayola has dedicated 34 years of her life to ensuring her husband and all those killed in the invasion are remembered. Keeping their memories alive, she said, is the great struggle of the families of the victims, along with managing the cross-generational psychological and emotional scars that persist in their children and surviving relatives.

"Many children were psychologically impacted ... over time, the impact comes to light," she said.

The trauma of missing persons is another lasting wound that continues to plague Panama.

"Still today, there are many missing persons on the list whose bodies have not been found," Ayola said, noting that families continue the painful task of identifying the remains of their loved ones, often hoping for DNA matches.

Unfortunately, the process is fraught with obstacles, ranging from a lack of personnel to a scarcity of resources to continue the search.

Sebastian Vergara, who presided over the association from 1996 to 2001, told Xinhua that his father, a civilian, was one of the many innocent casualties of the invasion.

"I lost my father. My father's name was Sebastian Vergara Hinestrosa," he said, adding, "I came to heal everything that had to do with my dad in 1989," the year he joined the fight to commemorate the fallen and ensure their sacrifice was not forgotten.

While that mission has helped him cope with the pain, Vergara cannot erase the image of his father's body being taken out of "a large truck, one of those used to load livestock, filled with many bags of bodies."

"According to the United States, the purpose was to remove Noriega ... but in reality, what they wanted was to destroy the defense forces," Vergara said.

For many Panamanians, the military intervention was nothing more than an excuse to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal and the region.

Rolando Murgas, president of the December 20 Commission, a group investigating the truth behind the invasion, believes that "the invasion ... aimed to crush all of our past demands and national dignity."

Murgas recalled heartbreaking cases: "There were people who were pressured into recognizing a corpse ... then after DNA tests were done, it turned out that it was not their relative."

Despite the uphill battle, the victims' relatives have not given up on their demands. In recent years, they have made significant progress on the historical record.

In 2022, after decades of struggle, the Panamanian government declared Dec. 20 a National Day of Mourning, which was a significant achievement for Ayola, Vergara, Murgas, and many others.

However, Vergara said much remains to be done, noting, "There are people who were injured and are still suffering from the consequences."

The families' efforts are not limited to obtaining recognition or justice for the victims. They also seek to educate future generations about the invasion.

"If it is taught as a subject in schools, young people will be aware that these situations should not be repeated," Vergara said.

Murgas stressed the importance of Panama demanding reparations from the United States. "We have recommended that Panama make a claim from state to state," he said.

But beyond reparations, what relatives seek is justice and dignity for the dead.

"Forgetting is forbidden," Ayola often says, repeating the motto that summarizes the association's mission. "Forgetting is forbidden." ■

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For families of victims of the U.S. invasion of Panama, the fight for justice continues-Xinhua

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