Panama: After Torrijos

The power struggle begins

Led by a riderless stallion, the orange fire truck rolled slowly toward the cemetery in Panama City last week, bearing a flag-draped coffin that was topped by a distinctive canteen, bush hat and gun holster. At the grave, a 21-cannon salute boomed as the coffin was lowered amid a torrent of flowers. Thus did Panama bid farewell to its strongman, Omar Torrijos Herrera, who was killed when his plane crashed four days earlier.

But for hundreds of thousands of Panamanians, who poured into the streets to mourn their lost...

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