The Latest: Relatives of Noriega victims say mystery remains
PANAMA CITY (AP) — The Latest on the death of former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega (all times local):
11:30 a.m.
Some relatives of people who were victims of the late Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega’s regime say his death leaves a mystery around their killings.
Josue Giroldi is the son of Maj. Moises Giroldi, who was killed after leading a military uprising against Noriega in October 1989. Noriega was convicted of the crime in absentia.
However Giroldi says Noriega “never confessed the truth about those events, and that will nag us for the rest of our lives.”
Still, he says that his family “had already forgiven him for what happened.”
Noriega was also facing prosecution for the disappearance of political opponent Heliodoro Portugal, whose remains were found shortly after Noriega’s ouster by a U.S. invasion in December 1989.
Daughter Patria Portugal says “so many Panamanian families will not know what happened to their loved ones.”
She says “that’s sad because there can be no reconciliation nor peace if the truth of things is not known.”
Noriega died late Monday of causes that have not been disclosed. He recently underwent surgery for a brain tumor.