Economist.com | Panama's new president General Omar Torrijos, was Panama's generally benevolent ruler from 1968 until his death in a plane crash in 1981. He won Panama control over its canal by negotiating a treaty with Jimmy Carter that saw the Americans pull out in 1999. Many Panamanians revere him as the father of the modern nation. This is an example of a benevolent dictatorship that was good for the people.