What Happened
On May 10, 1989, Panama became the scene of one of the clearest public displays of repression under Manuel Antonio Noriega’s military regime. Supporters of the Democratic Civil Opposition Alliance took to the streets to protest the annulment of the May 7 election results, which had rejected PRD candidate Carlos Duque Jaén and pointed to a victory for the opposition slate led by Guillermo Endara Galimany, Ricardo Arias Calderón and Guillermo “Billy” Ford.
The demonstration was met with violence. In Panama City, protesters traveling in a caravan toward the Presidential Palace were intercepted near Santa Ana by members of the so-called dóberman riot units and the Batallones de la Dignidad, civilian armed groups linked to the dictatorship. Participants were beaten with iron bars, turning a peaceful protest into a national symbol of state-backed brutality.
A Photo That Traveled the World
One of the most enduring images from that day is the photograph of Guillermo Ford bloodied after the attack. The image, published by Time, became an international symbol of the crisis in Panama and of the harsh tactics used to suppress dissent. Ford’s shirt, stained with blood after his bodyguard was shot, captured the violence of the moment in a way that political speeches could not.
His son, Guillermo Ford Jr., has kept that memory alive as a warning about the fragility of democracy. He has said the events of May 10 should remain a reminder that civic vigilance matters, because democratic backsliding can happen when society is not paying attention.
Why the Day Still Matters
The May 10 crackdown unfolded at a time when Panama was already facing economic strain, political tension, censorship and widespread human-rights abuses. Protests were routinely suppressed, and the climate of fear shaped daily life under Noriega’s rule. The attack on opposition leaders and ordinary citizens made that reality visible to Panama and to the outside world.
The violence also foreshadowed the deeper crisis that followed. The political conflict continued to escalate through 1989 and culminated in the U.S. invasion of Panama on Dec. 20 of that year. In Panama’s democratic memory, May 10 stands as a warning about the cost of authoritarian rule and the importance of defending electoral legitimacy.
Legacy in Panama’s Political History
Since 1989, the PRD has returned to power three times, through Ernesto Pérez Balladares, Martín Torrijos and Laurentino Cortizo. The anniversary of May 10 continues to resonate because it links Panama’s modern democracy to one of its darkest periods, when elections were ignored and public protest was met with force.
More than three decades later, the day remains part of the country’s political vocabulary: a reminder of what happened when institutions failed, and of why the defense of civil liberties still matters in Panama today.