File:Omar_Torrijos_1978.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Omar Torrijos
Sign in to saveAlso known as Omar Torrijos Herrera, Omar Torrijos H., Omar Torrikhos
Panamanian dictator who ruled Panama 1968–1981 (1929–1981)
Key facts
- President
- José María Pinilla (1968–1969), Demetrio Lakas Bahas (1969–1978), Arístides Royo (1978–1982)
- Preceded by
- Arnulfo Arias (as President of Panama )
- Succeeded by
- Rubén Darío Paredes
- Born
- Omar Efraín Torrijos Herrera , February 13, 1929, Santiago, Panama
- Died
- July 31, 1981 (1981-07-31) (aged 52), near Penonomé, Panama
- Resting place
- Torrijos Mausoleum , Amador , Panama City , Panama
- Party
- Democratic Revolutionary Party (1979–1981)
- Spouse
- Raquel Pauzner de Torrijos
- Children
- 3, Martín Torrijos
- Occupation
- Military officer and politician
- Allegiance
- Panama
- Branch service
- National Guard of Panama
- Years of service
- 1950–1981
- Rank
- Brigadier General
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Panama
- Place of birth
- Santiago de Veraguas
- Place of death
- Penonomé
- Occupation
- military personnel
- Position held
- head of state
- Political party
- Democratic Revolutionary Party
- Languages spoken
- Spanish
- Religion
- Catholicism
- Award
- Order of Belize
- Military rank
- brigadier general
- Image
- Omar Torrijos with Panamanian farmers.jpg
Show 7 more facts
- Commons category
- Omar Torrijos
- date of death
- 1981-07-31
- date of birth
- 1929-02-13
- name in native language
- Omar Torrijos Herrera
- birth name
- Omar Efraín Torrijos Herrera
- place of burial
- Panama City
- cause of death
- aviation accident
Sources (3)
via Wikidata · CC0
~14 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Omar Efraín Torrijos Herrera (February 13, 1929 – July 31, 1981) was a Panamanian military officer, politician, and revolutionary who was the military leader of Panama, as well as the Commander of the Panamanian National Guard from 1968 to his death in 1981. Torrijos was never officially the president of Panama, but instead held self-imposed and all-encompassing titles including "Maximum Leader of the Panamanian Revolution". Torrijos took power in a coup d'état and instituted a number of social reforms.
Torrijos is best known for negotiating the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties that eventually gave Panama full sovereignty over the Panama Canal. The two treaties guaranteed that Panama would gain control of the Panama Canal after 1999, ending the control of the canal that the U.S. had exercised since 1903. On December 31, 1999, the final phase of the treaty, the US relinquished control of the Panama Canal and all areas in what had been the Panama Canal Zone.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Omar Torrijos” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.