Film Seeks to Perpetuate Memory of the 1989 Invasion of Panama
In the early morning of December 20, 1989, Panama suffered the worst attack in its history when the United States launched the so-called “Just Cause” operation.

A woman visits the grave of a relative who died in the 1989 US invasion to Panama, at the Jardin de la Paz cemetery in Panama City on December 20, 2008, on the 19th anniversary of the invasion that deposed general Manuel Antonio Noriega.
Panama City: This year marks 35 years since the US invasion of Panama on December 20, 1989, and through the presentation of a series of short films they seek to promote the collective memory of these events that marked the history of the country. By staging images, testimonies and the participation of young people, they seek to perpetuate the memory of the events that occurred during the devastating US invasion of Panama on December 20, 1989. Enrique Castro, curator, said that episodes like this should be relived every day and not only on the anniversary of the invasion, because we must understand why such an excessive situation was created to capture a man.

Karla Quintero, executive director of the IFF Panama Foundation , explained that the importance of short films arises from the need for new generations to have historical information at their fingertips, to encourage them to investigate history. Students from the Nuestra Señora de la Merced Comprehensive Training Center in El Chorrillo participated in the exhibition to understand the impact of the attack on Panama and, above all, the destruction that occurred in the neighborhood where they now live. Romina Robles said she was delighted with the exhibits and even said that she has relatives who, despite the passing of time, are still marked by the events that took place in 1989. Mila Lavitola, another student, suggested that the short films should be shown to many more schools, so that other students would know what happened. On this day, the IFF Panama Foundation presented a selection of short films made by Panamanians that portray the experiences surrounding the invasion. The United States invasion of Panama, called “just cause” occurred between December 20, 1989 and January 31, 1990.
