Omar Torrijos

Imagine a leader who wasn't the president but was still in charge! That was Omar Torrijos. He was a military leader in Panama from 1968 until he passed away in 1981. He called himself the 'Maximum Leader of the Panamanian Revolution.' Even though he didn't have the title of president, he made big decisions and changed things in Panama. He took power with his friends in the National Guard.

Omar Torrijos is super famous for making a deal with the United States about the Panama Canal. This canal is like a giant water highway that ships use to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. For a long time, the U.S. was in charge of it. But Omar Torrijos worked hard to get Panama its own control. He signed treaties, like a special promise, that said Panama would get the canal back.

Thanks to the deal Omar Torrijos helped make, Panama finally got full control of the Panama Canal on December 31, 1999. This was a huge moment for Panama! It meant they were in charge of this very important waterway that connects the world. Before this, the U.S. had managed the canal for many, many years, since 1903. It was like getting back something really special that belonged to them.

Omar Torrijos didn't just focus on the canal. He also made changes that he believed would help the people of Panama. These were called social reforms. He wanted to improve things for everyone. His son, Martín Torrijos, also became president later on, showing how his family stayed involved in leading Panama.