Page 36 - Anatomy-of-a-Fraud

It was said –with obvious justification– that the run was not between Arias and
Barletta but between Arias and Noriega.

The demonstration organized by the “General of Peace”, as Noriega was being
called during those days, was largely made up of civil servants forced to attend and
people attracted by the T-shirts, the food and the liquor that were liberally and freely
distributed. (See exhibit 2).

Thus, as the campaign drew to its close, the military’s interference was evident.
They had imposed the government’s candidate; fraudulently created some political
parties and split others in exchange for privileges and sinecures; removed presidents
and ministers to ensure the unlawful use of public resources and traversed the country,
6
from one end to the other, in support of their candidate , Barletta.
But all of that was not enough.

6
“Despite their protestations of neutrality, military resources were used against Arnulfo Arias’s
candidacy”, The Presidential and Legislative Elections in Panama, op. cit., p. 24.