7th Macho de Monte Infantry Company

The 7th Macho de Monte Infantry Company (Spanish: Séptima Compañía de Infantería Macho de Monte) was an elite infantry battalion of the Panama Defense Forces. Its mascot was the Baird's tapir, from which the company took it name, as in Panama the tapir is called 'Macho de Monte' which translates as 'mountain men'.[1] It was based at the Base Militar "General de Division Omar Torrijos Herrera" in Rio Hato and specialised in guerrilla warfare.[2]

7th Macho de Monte Infantry Company
Insignia and cap badge
ActiveApril 7, 1969 – December 20, 1989
Country Panama
AllegianceManuel Noriega
BranchPanama Defense Forces
TypeInfantry Battalion
RoleGuerrilla warfare
Garrison/HQRio Hato, Cocle
Nickname(s)Macho de Monte
(Mountain Men)
Motto(s)"Lealtad Sin Precio Ni Duda"
("Loyalty Without Price or Doubt")
Mascot(s)Baird's tapir
AnniversariesApril 7
Engagements1989 Panamanian coup d'état attempt
United States invasion of Panama
Commanders
Current
commander		Major Gonzalo Gonzalez

It was disbanded alongside the rest of the Panama Defense Forces on December 20, 1989, following the United States invasion of Panama.

History

The 7th Macho de Monte Infantry Company was founded on April 7, 1969, as part of the National Guard of Panama by General Omar Torrijos who had seized power in a coup in 1968.[3] The unit's first leader was Ediberto del Cid who had supported Torrijos.[4] Following Manuel Noriega's seizure of power and transformation of the National Guard into the Panama Defense Forces in 1983 the unit was built into an elite infantry battalion.[5]

During the 1989 Panamanian coup d'état attempt the company sided with Noriega and were deployed by air to Panama City to quell the coup attempt and to dislodge the entrenched rebels from the Central Barracks.[6][7][8] Their performance during the coup attempt showed the unit to be one of Noriega's most loyal and as a result it became a commando and special forces unit specialising in guerilla warfare in case of US intervention.[9]

The battalion, along with the whole of the Panama Defense Forces, was disbanded on December 20, 1989, following the US invasion of Panama. During the invasion the battalion took part in the Battle of Rio Hato Airfield. The battle lasted for 5 hours and featured room-to-room combat as United States Army Rangers attempted to secure the Rio Hato military base.[10]

Structure

The 7th Macho de Monte Infantry Company was structured as follows:[3]

  • Headquarters
  • 3 Rifle Platoons
  • 1 Inner Guard Platoon
  • 1 Mortar Section

Special sections

  • 1 Commandos
  • 1 Frogmen Section
  • 1 Explosives Section
  • 1 Pana-Jungle Section
  • 1 Motorized Section - "Cocuyos Montaneros"

References
  1. Lawrence A. Yates. The U.S. Military Intervention in Panama: Operation Just Cause, December 1989-January 1990 (PDF). Center of Military History, United States Army. p. 273.
  2. "Séptima Compañía de Infantería Macho de Monte" (in Spanish).
  3. "Panamanian Defense Forces Order of Battle". history.army.mil. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  4. "Ex jefe de los "Macho de Monte" enfrentará juicio" [Former head of the "Macho de Monte" will face trial] (in Spanish). Panamá América. 16 March 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  5. Mir Bahmanyar. "Panama, Operation Just Cause 1989-1990". Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  6. "El fallido golpe de Estado de Moisés Giroldi" [The failed coup of Moisés Giroldi] (in Spanish). Panamá Vieja Escuela. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  7. United States Department of Defense (1 January 1990). Soldiers in Panama: Stories of Operation Just Cause (PDF). p. 17.
  8. Cole, Ronald H. (November 1995). "OPERATION JUST CAUSE The Planning and Execution of Joint Operations in Panama February 1988 – January 1990" (PDF). Joint Chiefs of Staff. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  9. Gordon L. Rottman (20 September 2012). Panama 1989–90. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781782004530.
  10. Pedraja, René De La (2013-09-20). Wars of Latin America, 1982-2013: The Path to Peace. McFarland. ISBN 9780786470167.
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