Moisés Giroldi
Encyclopedia
Moisés Giroldi Vera was a Panama
nian military commander noted for his coup attempt against military leader Manuel Noriega
in 1989.
Giroldi was born in a family of Italian
descent. He was educated at the School of the Americas and joined the Panamanian Defense Forces, at the time commanded by Manuel Noriega, Panama's military leader, where he rose to the rank of major
. In 1988 he assisted Noriega in preventing a coup, but eventually he came to be opposed to Noriega.
On 3 October 1989 he led a group of officers in a coup attempt against Noriega. The plotters had requested the United States Army
based in Panama to block three main roads. However because of miscommunication and Giroldi's bad reputation (a US military official called him "a bastard, a sort of mini-Noriega"), only two roads were blocked, leaving one road open for Noriega's forces to arrest the plotters. Giroldi was shot; according to some sources, it was Noriega himself who pulled the trigger.
The half hearted American support for the coup attempt led the American government to be subjected to harsh criticism; president George H.W. Bush was called a "wimp" by senator Jesse Helms
. The failure to oust Noriega by coup was one of the main reasons for the American government to invade Panama in Operation Just Cause three months later. After Noriega's downfall a Panamanian court found Noriega in absentia guilty of Giroldi's death.
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian military commander noted for his coup attempt against military leader Manuel Noriega
Manuel Noriega
Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno is a Panamanian politician and soldier. He was military dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989.The 1989 invasion of Panama by the United States removed him from power; he was captured, detained as a prisoner of war, and flown to the United States. Noriega was tried on...
in 1989.
Giroldi was born in a family of Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
descent. He was educated at the School of the Americas and joined the Panamanian Defense Forces, at the time commanded by Manuel Noriega, Panama's military leader, where he rose to the rank of major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. In 1988 he assisted Noriega in preventing a coup, but eventually he came to be opposed to Noriega.
On 3 October 1989 he led a group of officers in a coup attempt against Noriega. The plotters had requested the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
based in Panama to block three main roads. However because of miscommunication and Giroldi's bad reputation (a US military official called him "a bastard, a sort of mini-Noriega"), only two roads were blocked, leaving one road open for Noriega's forces to arrest the plotters. Giroldi was shot; according to some sources, it was Noriega himself who pulled the trigger.
The half hearted American support for the coup attempt led the American government to be subjected to harsh criticism; president George H.W. Bush was called a "wimp" by senator Jesse Helms
Jesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001...
. The failure to oust Noriega by coup was one of the main reasons for the American government to invade Panama in Operation Just Cause three months later. After Noriega's downfall a Panamanian court found Noriega in absentia guilty of Giroldi's death.