Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega
PANAMA CITY -- Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega is in a hospital, where officials say he's being treated for extreme hypertension.
The 77-year-old Noriega was transferred from prison, where he's been serving a 60-year sentence for killing political opponents in the 1980s. Panama's health minister says Noriega's blood pressure was very high, nearly leading to a stroke. The official says further X-rays and evaluations yielded normal results.
Noriega will remain in intensive care for 24 hours.
In December, Panamanian authorities said Noriega was suffering from mobility problems due to a stroke several years ago.
Noriega ruled Panama from 1983 to 1989, before he was ousted in a U.S. invasion. He spent about 20 years in U.S. and French prisons on drug-trafficking and money-laundering convictions.
(Associated Press)