20 Things You Didn't Know About Die Hard 2
9. General Esperanza Is Modelled Off Real-Life Panamanian General Manuel Noriega
If at a glance it might seem like the General Esperanza subplot is a pretty generic action movie storyline, it was in fact inspired by real-life.
As it turns out, Esperanza was actually modelled on the real-life Panamanian general Manuel Noriega, whose authoritarian rule over the nation was ended by the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989.
Given that Die Hard 2 was literally in production when the Panama invasion took place, that sure is a timely nod to reality, even if most fans watching today would have no idea whatsoever.