Being a Latin American myself, it was very interesting to read Max Jimenez's letter (Collegian Jan. 12). Jimenez stated that the U.S. invasion of Panama was welcomed by most Panamanians, and in his words, that "U.S. troops are regarded in Panama not as invaders, but as liberators. "

This is undoubtedly true of some Panamanians, particularly the wealthy ones, but it is equally undoubtedly false of the Panamanian people as a whole.

From day one, "President" Guillermo Endara and his government were the choice of the wealthy Panamanian elite as well as the U.S. government. During the election campaign last year, Endara's rallies were small; his headquarters were located in the Chamber of Commerce building in Panama City.

Endara himself is reportedly on the board of directors of many corporations in Panama, and "Vice President" Guillermo Ford is a co-owner of the Miami Dadeland bank (reportedly one of the principal banks involved in cocaine money laundering operations in the U.S.)

And the "free and fair" election campaign that Endara and his clique reportedly successfully ran was bought and paid for by $10 million from the United States government.

Another indication of the "support" that Endara has amongst Panamanians is the fact that very few Blacks have been seen among Endara's supporters -- in a country that is at least half Black or of Black heritage.

On the other hand, General Noriega had gained the support of all the major trade unions when he became the object of U.S. attack. The neighborhoods brutally bombed by U.S. troops as areas where Noriega enjoyed broad support, for example El Chorrillo and San Miguelito, were overwhelmingly poor.

The Dignity Battalions, termed "thugs" by the U.S. media, were poor and working class people, armed and organized by Noriega to defend themselves against attack by the United States or U.S. stooges in Panama.

The degree of support enjoyed by Noriega, as well as the degree of opposition to the U.S. invasion, can be seen by the signatories of a letter protesting the invasion and demanding an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops, including the National Workers Federation, the Workers Federation of Panama, the Panamanian Episcopal Conference and the Authentic Federation of Independent Workers.

Another myth echoed by Mr. Jimenez is that the United States is finally acting on behalf of democracy in Panama. But if the U.S.-installed regime in Panama was interested in democracy, why don't they call for new elections?

If the United States is so sure that their men won in last year's elections, what would be lost?

Another sign of the "democracy" imposed by the United States is the fact that every newspaper or radio station which either supported Noriega or opposed the invasion is physically occupied by U.S. troops and armored vehicles, according to (Cable News Network). When CNN reporters visited the site of a newspaper opposed to the intervention, U.S. troops turned them away.

We should not forget also that according to the Spanish EFE news service, this Yankee "democracy" cost the lives of between 3,600 and 5,000 civilians, few of whom were consulted about their fate.

And after the Panama City health director told the New York daily, El Diario, that U.S. forces had bombed two Red Cross vehicles and blocked others from picking up victims, he lost his job.

If the United States did not go into Panama to install democracy, what were they after? Is it just one big coincidence that the United States invaded one week before Noriega was to appoint the first Panamanian administrator of the Panama Canal? I don't think so.

The United States can't afford to lose the canal to the Panamanian people because they may do something that the United States doesn't agree with; it just may be that the interests of Panama and those of the United States are not exactly the same. It is crucial to the United States that Panama has an administration that is totally submissive to the United States.

To close, I would like to ask the North American people to listen to the demands of Latin Americans, not the U.S. government and its puppets, to free Noriega immediately, to release all those detained by the United States in Panama and to withdraw all U.S. troops and military police from Panama immediately.