1. Omar Efrain Torrijos Herrera was the Panamanian military leader of Panama, as well as the Commander of the Panamanian National Guard from 1968 to his death in 1981.
11 Facts About Omar Torrijos
1. 2.
Omar Efrain Torrijos Herrera was born on February 13,1929, in Santiago in the province of Veraguas, the sixth of twelve children.
3.
Omar Torrijos joined the Panamanian army, the National Guard, in 1952.
4.
Omar Torrijos was promoted to captain in 1956 then to major in 1960.
5.
Omar Torrijos took a cadet course at the School of the Americas in 1965.
6.
Omar Torrijos became the Executive Secretary of the National Guard in 1966.
7.
Omar Torrijos had reached the rank of lieutenant colonel by 1966.
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Salvador Allende 8.
In international politics, Omar Torrijos supported Chilean President Salvador Allende and welcomed refugees after the 1973 coup d'etat.
9.
Omar Torrijos reintroduced the traditional parties by modifying the 1972 constitution and set elections for 1984.
10.
Omar Torrijos married Raquel Pauzner in 1954 and had three children.
11.
Omar Torrijos died at the age of 52 when his aircraft, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter of the Panamanian Air Force, crashed at Cerro Marta, in Coclesito, near Penonome, Panama on July 31,1981.