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1989 Panamanian coup attempt

SOLVED1989Albrook, Panama City, Panama3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On 3 October 1989, a group of Panamanian Defense Forces officers led by Major Moisés Giroldi attempted a coup d'état against dictator Manuel Noriega in Panama City. The plotters, which included officers who had recently returned from a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Namibia, briefly succeeded in capturing Noriega. However, the coup was suppressed within hours after Noriega loyalists used Tocumen airport to bypass roadblocks set up by U.S. troops in the Panama Canal Zone and moved in troops by air to mount a counter-attack, forcing the rebels to surrender.

The coup occurred against a backdrop of deteriorating U.S.–Panama relations during the 1980s, driven by concerns over the safety of American nationals, the Panama Canal, and Noriega's alleged role in drug trafficking. The Reagan administration had indicted Noriega on drug trafficking charges and imposed economic sanctions, without securing his resignation. An earlier coup attempt in March 1988 had failed, with Giroldi among those who helped suppress it, and a September 1988 plot allegedly backed by the United States was reportedly foiled with the arrest of 16 conspirators.

Two days before the 1989 attempt, Giroldi's wife, Adela Bonilla de Giroldi, warned United States Southern Command that a coup was imminent, leading to a meeting between Giroldi and CIA agents. U.S. officials said Giroldi requested only limited assistance — protection for his family and U.S. roadblocks at two strategic Canal Zone locations. U.S. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney later said the Bush administration distrusted Giroldi and doubted his ability to succeed, and so declined to make specific commitments.

Following the coup's collapse, participants were taken to an aircraft hangar at Albrook, where they were interrogated and tortured by Noriega loyalists. Eight were executed in the hangars at Albrook, Giroldi and a sergeant were executed at military barracks in San Miguelito, and an eleventh participant died in prison after torture. Seventy-four officers connected to the coup were sent to Coiba prison, and relatives of the executed alleged they faced house raids and eviction notices.

The coup's failure prompted debate in the U.S. Senate over the Bush administration's handling of the episode, with Democratic senator Sam Nunn accusing officials of withholding information and Republican senator Jesse Helms alleging that a rebel offer to hand over Noriega had been refused — a claim Cheney denied. The failed coup contributed to a shift in U.S. military thinking that culminated in the U.S. invasion of Panama two months later. Noriega and military captain Heráclides Sucre Medina were later sentenced to 20 years in prison for their roles in the executions, and Evidelio Quiel Peralta was tried in absentia and given the same sentence. In 2015, Panama's government announced a memorial to the eleven victims.

Key facts

Victims
Edgardo Sandoval Alba, Leon Tejada González, Juan Arza Aguilera, Eric Murillo Echevers, Ismael Ortega Caraballo, Moisés Giroldi, Feliciano Muñoz Vega, Dioclides Julio, Francisco Concepción, Jorge Bonilla Arboleda, Nicasio Lorenzo Tuñón
Date
1989
Location
Albrook, Panama City, Panama
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1989-10-03

    Major Moisés Giroldi led a coup attempt, briefly capturing Manuel Noriega, before Noriega loyalists mounted a counter-attack and the rebels surrendered.

  2. 1989-10-03

    Eight coup participants were executed at hangars in Albrook after being tortured; Giroldi and a sergeant were executed at San Miguelito barracks.

  3. 1989-10-04

    In the aftermath, an eleventh coup participant died in prison after torture; the killings became known as the Albrook massacre.

  4. 1989-12

    The United States invaded Panama, approximately two months after the failed coup.

  5. 2015-10-04

    Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced construction of a monolith in memory of the eleven Albrook massacre victims.

  6. 2016-05

    Gabriel Pinzón, Director General of the penitential system, confirmed Noriega was to be detained until 2030 for his part in the Albrook massacre.

  7. 2017-05

    Manuel Noriega died while under house arrest.

Best coverage

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People

  • Manuel Noriega

    CONVICTED

    Panamanian dictator who was captured during the coup but regained power; later sentenced to 20 years in prison for his part in the execution of Giroldi and other coup participants.

  • Heráclides Sucre Medina

    CONVICTED

    Military captain sentenced to 20 years in prison and banned from public service for 10 years for his part in the execution of Giroldi.

  • Edgardo Sandoval Alba

    VICTIM

    Major who participated in the coup attempt against Noriega.

  • Leon Tejada González

    VICTIM

    Major who participated in the coup attempt against Noriega.

  • Juan Arza Aguilera

    VICTIM

    Major who participated in the coup attempt against Noriega.

  • Evidelio Quiel Peralta

    CONVICTED

    Fled to Costa Rica and was tried in absentia, sentenced to 20 years in prison for his part in the Albrook massacre.

  • Eric Murillo Echevers

    VICTIM

    Major who participated in the coup attempt against Noriega.

  • Ismael Ortega Caraballo

    VICTIM

    Lieutenant who participated in the coup attempt against Noriega.

  • Moisés Giroldi

    VICTIM

    Major who led the 1989 coup attempt; executed on 3 October 1989 at San Miguelito barracks after the coup's failure.

  • Feliciano Muñoz Vega

    VICTIM

    Sub-Lieutenant who participated in the coup attempt against Noriega.

  • Dioclides Julio

    VICTIM

    Sub-Lieutenant who participated in the coup attempt against Noriega.

  • Francisco Concepción

    VICTIM

    Lieutenant who participated in the coup attempt against Noriega.

  • Jorge Bonilla Arboleda

    VICTIM

    Captain who participated in the coup and was among those executed or imprisoned following its suppression.

  • Nicasio Lorenzo Tuñón

    VICTIM

    Major who participated in the coup attempt against Noriega.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Albrook, Panama City, Panama

8.9714, -79.5332

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
A failed October 1989 coup against Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, led by Major Moisés Giroldi, resulted in the torture and killing of eleven Panamanian Defense Forces participants in what became known as the Albrook massacre.
Where did the crime happen?
Albrook, Panama City, Panama.
Who was convicted?
Manuel Noriega (Panamanian dictator who was captured during the coup but regained power; later sentenced to 20 years in prison for his part in the execution of Giroldi and other coup participants.), Heráclides Sucre Medina (Military captain sentenced to 20 years in prison and banned from public service for 10 years for his part in the execution of Giroldi.), and Evidelio Quiel Peralta (Fled to Costa Rica and was tried in absentia, sentenced to 20 years in prison for his part in the Albrook massacre.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Panama

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDIC1989 Panamanian coup attemptWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSWidow of Panama Coup Leader Says Fellow Plotter Betrayed HimThe New York Times · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage related to Panama coup plottingLos Angeles Times · 2026-07-10

Record history

First published
JUL 10, 2026