national

Questions bother Torrijos

President Martín Torrijos was bothered yesterday when a reporter asked him about comments made recently by the president of the Asamblea Nacional, Pedro Miguel González. Among other things, Gonzalez said that over the last 18 years the government has tried to cover up what really happened when the U.S. invaded Panama on Dec. 20, 1989 to overthrow the dictatorships of Gen. Manuel Noriega.

Torrijos limited himself to saying that Dec. 20 is a day for all Panamanians to reflect on.

When another reporter returned to the subject, Torrijos interrupted and said, "You are begin abusive. See you later."

A source in the president's party said the head of state is putting more distance between himself and González every day since the latter was elected to the Asamblea last September.

The website of the U.S. Department of State notes that González and others have been indicted in the United States on charges including first degree murder, conspiracy to murder, and attempted murder of a U.S. national in the killing of U.S. Army Sergeant Zak Hernandez-Laporte and the attempted murder of U.S. Army Sergeant Ronald T. Marshall in an assault near Chilibre on June 10, 1992. There is an outstanding arrest warrant for González.