Page "History of Panama" Paragraph 74

In October 1968, Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid was elected president for the third time.

Twice ousted by the Panamanian military, he was again ousted ( for the third time ) as president by the National Guard after only 10 days in office.

A military junta government was established, and the commander of the National Guard, Brig.

Gen. Omar Torrijos, emerged as the principal power in Panamanian political life.

Torrijos ' regime was harsh and corrupt, and had to confront the mistrust of the people and guerrillas backing the populist Arnulfo Arias.

However, he was a charismatic leader whose Socialist domestic programs and nationalist foreign policy appealed to the rural and urban constituencies who were largely ignored by the oligarchy.