Omar Efraín Torrijos Herrera was a Soviet-aligned dictator of PanamaW. The commander of the Panamanian National GuardW, Torrijos took power in a coup d'état in 1968. Because of the American refusal to withdraw from the Panama Canal Zone, he aligned Panama with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
History[]
In 1983, four American soldiers were taken hostage in Panama City, drawing condemnation from US President Ronald Reagan.[1] The tensions between Panama and the US lead to the deployment of the Soviet fleet off the coast of Panama, which threatened the continental United States with nuclear war. The crisis was eventually defused after the success of the Apollo-Soyuz mission caused Ronald Reagan to land Air Force OneW in Moscow to meet Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov.
Gallery[]
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Appearances[]
Torrijos was only mentioned in newscasts and seen in archive footage. He stayed uncredited.
| Episode | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2x01 | Every Little Thing | mentioned only |
| 2x02 | The Bleeding Edge | archive footage, uncredited |
| 2x04 | Pathfinder | archive footage, uncredited |
Total episodes: 3
Behind the scenes[]
Omar Torrijos is one of many characters that For All Mankind borrows from the real-world. Unlike figures like Ronald Reagan, though, he is only mentioned and is never seen or heard onscreen.
In real life, Torrijos was known for negotiating the Panama Canal TreatyW with Jimmy Carter in 1977, which saw the US withdraw from the Panama Canal ZoneW. This event does not happen in the fictional timeline of For All Mankind. The real Torrijos also died in a plane crash in 1981, so his survival in the show's 1983 is also fictional. However, the hostage situation in Panama City mirrors events that transpired under Torrijos' successor, Manuel NoriegaW, in 1989, which culminated in an American invasion of the country.
References
- ↑ For All Mankind TV Series - Season 2, Episode 4: "Pathfinder"