Who is Omar Torrijos from Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and what is their importance?

Omar Torrijos was the charismatic and compassionate president of Panama. He stood for the rights of his people and wanted the world to know that while he was pro-Panama, he was not anti-American—he simply wanted to make sure that Panama remained a sovereign nation, and that he could help the poor and oppressed of his nation rise up and be prosperous people. He was a controversial leader only because he wanted to gain control of the Panama Canal, which was rightfully Panama's, but controlled by the U.S. He also didn't allow the School of the Americas or other right-wing military training grounds to be housed in his country. He wanted to help the poor as much as he could. He stood for moral justice and was a role model for leaders around the world. He was killed in a plane crash in what many believe was a CIA operation.