PASO CANOAS — 1985 · Murder
The Murder of Hugo Spadafora
Doctor and former guerrilla volunteer Hugo Spadafora was an outspoken critic who publicly accused Panama's military ruler Manuel Noriega of drug trafficking. In September 1985 he was detained at the border while travelling by bus from Costa Rica into Panama. Soon afterwards his body was found in a mailbag on the Costa Rican side, near the Río La Vaquita. The murder caused outrage in Panama, and calls for an inquiry ended with the resignation of President Nicolás Ardito Barletta. After Noriega's overthrow in 1989 the case was reopened, and in 1993 a court convicted Noriega in absentia along with several soldiers.
- Date
- 1985
- Place
- Chiriquí, Panama, Paso Canoas, PA
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 8.5500, -82.8300 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 13 September 1985Spadafora was detained while crossing from Costa Rica into Panama and killed.
- September 1985His body was found on the Costa Rican side of the border.
- Late September 1985President Barletta resigned amid the crisis over the inquiry.
- 1993A court convicted Noriega in absentia along with several soldiers.
Sources
- La Prensa — Hugo Spadafora, una lucha sin fin prensa.com ↗
- Semana — Caso Spadafora semana.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Hugo Spadafora en.wikipedia.org ↗
- La Prensa (Panamá)
- Semana
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
Related Cases
More cases from the 1980s
Categories
🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.