Editing Manuel Noriega (section)

===Genesis===
In March 1988, the U.S. government entered into negotiations with Noriega seeking his resignation. Panama was represented at these negotiations by [[Rómulo Escobar Bethancourt]].<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |last1=Lambert |first1=Bruce |title=Romulo Escobar Is Dead at 68; Helped Panama to Regain Canal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/30/obituaries/romulo-escobar-is-dead-at-68-helped-panama-to-regain-canal.html |access-date=April 28, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 30, 1995}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Elliott Abrams sugiere a EE.UU. ofrecerle una amnistía a Maduro para que acepte su derrota el 28J | website=AlbertoNews - Periodismo sin censura | date=July 19, 2024 | url=https://albertonews.com/internacionales/elliott-abrams-sugiere-a-ee-uu-ofrecerle-una-amnistia-a-maduro-para-que-acepte-su-derrota-el-28j/ | language=es | access-date=July 27, 2024}}</ref> Negotiations collapsed after several months of lengthy and inconclusive talks; according to Dinges, Noriega had no intentions of ever resigning.{{sfn|Dinges|1990|pp=300–301}} On December 15, 1989, the PRD-dominated legislature spoke of "a state of war" between the United States and Panama. It also declared Noriega "chief executive officer" of the government, formalizing a state of affairs that had existed for six years.{{sfn|Harding|2006|p=114}} The U.S. government stated that Noriega's forces were harassing U.S. troops and civilians. Three incidents in particular occurred very near the time of the invasion, and were mentioned by Bush as a reason for the invasion.<ref>{{cite news |title = Fighting in Panama: The President; A Transcript of Bush's Address on the Decision to Use Force in Panama |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/21/world/fighting-panama-president-transcript-bush-s-address-decision-use-force-panama.html|agency = Federal News Service |date = December 21, 1989 |work = The New York Times }}</ref> In a December 16 incident, four U.S. personnel were stopped at a roadblock outside PDF headquarters in the El Chorrillo neighborhood of Panama City. The [[United States Department of Defense]] said that the servicemen were traveling unarmed in a private vehicle, and that they attempted to flee the scene only after their vehicle was surrounded by a crowd of civilians and PDF troops. First Lieutenant Robert Paz of the [[United States Marine Corps]] was shot and killed in the incident.<ref name="Kenneth Freed">{{cite news |title = Some Blame Rogue Band of Marines for Picking Fight, Spurring Panama Invasion |url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-12-22-mn-6183-story.html |first = Kenneth |last = Freed |date = December 22, 1990 |work = Los Angeles Times }}</ref> An American couple who witnessed the incident was also arrested and harassed by the PDF.{{sfn|Kempe|1990|pp=8–11}}