List of heads of state of Panama

Wikimedia list article

This is a list of head of state of Panama.

President of the Republic of Panama
Presidente de la República de Panamá
Presidential standard
Coat of arms of Panama
Incumbent
José Raúl Mulino

since 1 July 2024
ResidencePalacio de las Garzas, Panama City
Term lengthFive years, renewable once non-consecutively
PrecursorMartín Torrijos
Inaugural holderManuel Amador Guerrero
Formation20 February 1904
DeputyVice President of Panama
Salary7,000 USD per month[1]
WebsitePresidencia de la República

Free State of the Isthmus (1840–1841)

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No. Portrait President
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
1   Juan López
(1823–1874)
18 November 1840 20 March 1841 122 days Superior Civil Chief
2   Tomás de Herrera
(1804–1854)
20 March 1841 8 June 1841 80 days Superior Chief of State
(2) 8 June 1841 31 December 1841 206 days President

Republic of Panama (1903–present)

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President of the Municipal Council of Panama and de facto President (1903)

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No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Political Party
Took office Left office Time in office
3   Demetrio H. Brid
(1859–1917)
3 November 1903 4 November 1903 1 day Conservative Party

Members of the Provisional Government Junta (1903–1904)

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No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Political Party
Took office Left office Time in office
4   José Agustín Arango
(1841–1909)
4 November 1903 20 February 1904 108 days National Liberal Party
5   Tomás Arias
(1856–1932)
Independent
6   Federico Boyd
(1851–1924)
National Liberal Party
7   Manuel Espinosa Batista
(1857–1919)
9 November 1903 7 December 1903 28 days National Liberal Party

Presidents of Panama (1904–present)

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No. Portrait President
(Birth–Death)
Elected Term of office Political Party Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
1   Manuel Amador Guerrero
(1833–1909)
1904 20 February 1904 23 June 1907[2] 3 years, 123 days Conservative Party
2   José Domingo de Obaldía
(1845–1910)
24 June 1907[2] 27 December 1907[2] 186 days National Liberal Party
(1)   Manuel Amador Guerrero
(1833–1909)
29 December 1907[2] 1 October 1908 277 days Conservative Party
(2)   José Domingo de Obaldía
(1845–1910)
1908 1 October 1908 1 March 1910 1 year, 151 days National Liberal Party Died in office.
  Carlos Antonio Mendoza
(1856–1916)
1 March 1910 1 October 1910 214 days National Liberal Party Acting President.
  Federico Boyd
(1851–1924)
1 October 1910 5 October 1910 4 days National Liberal Party Acting President.
  Pablo Arosemena
(1836–1920)
5 October 1910 1 October 1912 1 year, 362 days National Liberal Party Acting President.
3   Belisario Porras Barahona
(1856–1942)
1912 1 October 1912 1 October 1916 4 years National Liberal Party First tenure.
4   Ramón Maximiliano Valdés
(1867–1918)
1916 1 October 1916 3 June 1918 1 year, 245 days National Liberal Party Died in office.
  Ciro Luis Urriola
(1863–1922)
3 June 1918 1 October 1918 120 days National Liberal Party Acting President.
  Pedro Antonio Díaz
(1852–1919)
1 October 1918 12 October 1918 11 days Conservative Party Acting President.
(3)   Belisario Porras Barahona
(1856–1942)
1918 12 October 1918 30 January 1920 1 year, 110 days National Liberal Party Second tenure.
  Ernesto Tisdel Lefevre
(1876–1922)
30 January 1920 1 October 1920 245 days National Liberal Party Acting President.
(3)   Belisario Porras Barahona
(1856–1942)
1920 1 October 1920 1 October 1924 4 years National Liberal Party Third tenure.
5   Rodolfo Chiari
(1869–1937)
1924 1 October 1924 1 October 1928 4 years National Liberal Party
6   Florencio Harmodio Arosemena
(1872–1945)
1928 1 October 1928 3 January 1931 2 years, 94 days National Liberal Party Deposed in a coup d'état.
  Harmodio Arias Madrid
(1886–1963)
3 January 1931 16 January 1931 13 days Independent Acting President.
7   Ricardo Joaquín Alfaro Jované
(1882–1971)
16 January 1931 5 June 1932 1 year, 141 days National Liberal Party
8   Harmodio Arias Madrid
(1886–1963)
1932 5 June 1932 1 October 1936 4 years, 118 days National Revolutionary Party
9   Juan Demóstenes Arosemena
(1879–1939)
1936 1 October 1936 16 December 1939 3 years, 76 days National Liberal Party Died in office.
  Ezequiel Fernández
(1886–1946)
16 December 1939 18 December 1939 2 days National Revolutionary Party Acting President.
  Augusto Samuel Boyd
(1879–1957)
18 December 1939 1 October 1940 288 days National Revolutionary Party Acting President.
10   Arnulfo Arias
(1901–1988)
1940 1 October 1940 9 October 1941 1 year, 8 days National Revolutionary Party First tenure.
Deposed in a coup d'état.
11   Ricardo Adolfo de la Guardia Arango
(1899–1969)
9 October 1941 15 June 1945 3 years, 249 days Independent
  Enrique Adolfo Jiménez
(1888–1970)
1945 15 June 1945 7 August 1948 3 years, 53 days National Liberal Party Provisional President.
12   Domingo Díaz Arosemena
(1875–1949)
1948 7 August 1948 28 July 1949 355 days National Liberal Party Resigned after a heart attack, and died less than a month later.
13   Daniel Chanis Pinzón
(1892–1961)
28 July 1949 20 November 1949 115 days National Liberal Party
14   Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón
(1905–1981)
20 November 1949 24 November 1949 4 days National Liberal Party First tenure.
(10)   Arnulfo Arias
(1901–1988)
24 November 1949 9 May 1951 1 year, 166 days Panameñista Party Second tenure.
15   Alcibíades Arosemena
(1883–1958)
9 May 1951 1 October 1952 1 year, 145 days Authentic Revolutionary Party
16   José Antonio Remón Cantera
(1908–1955)
1952 1 October 1952 2 January 1955 2 years, 93 days National Patriotic Coalition Assassinated.
17   José Ramón Guizado
(1899–1964)
2 January 1955 29 March 1955 86 days National Patriotic Coalition
18   Ricardo Arias
(1912–1993)
29 March 1955 1 October 1956 1 year, 186 days National Patriotic Coalition
19   Ernesto de la Guardia
(1904–1983)
1956 1 October 1956 1 October 1960 4 years National Patriotic Coalition
(14)   Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón
(1905–1981)
1960 1 October 1960 17 March 1963 2 years, 167 days National Liberal Party Second tenure.
  Bernardino González Ruiz
(1911–2012)
17 March 1963 23 March 1963 6 days Democratic Action Party Acting president.
(14)   Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón
(1905–1981)
23 March 1963 1 October 1964 1 year, 192 days National Liberal Party Second tenure.
20   Marco Aurelio Robles
(1908–1990)
1964 1 October 1964 1 October 1968 4 years National Liberal Party
(10)   Arnulfo Arias
(1901–1988)
1968 1 October 1968 11 October 1968 10 days Panameñista Party Third tenure.
Deposed in a coup d'état.
  José María Pinilla Fábrega
(1919–1979)
12 October 1968 18 December 1969 1 year, 67 days Military
(National Guard)
Chairman of the Provisional Junta.
21   Colonel
Bolívar Urrutia Parrilla
(1918–2005)
Military
(National Guard)
President.
  Demetrio B. Lakas
(1925–1999)
19 December 1969 11 October 1972 2 years, 297 days Independent Chairman of the Provisional Junta to 11 October 1972.
22 1972 11 October 1972 11 October 1978 6 years
23   Aristides Royo
(born 1940)
1978 11 October 1978 31 July 1982 3 years, 293 days Democratic Revolutionary Party
24   Ricardo de la Espriella
(born 1934)
31 July 1982 13 February 1984 1 year, 197 days Democratic Revolutionary Party
25   Jorge Illueca
(1918–2012)
13 February 1984 11 October 1984 241 days Independent
26   Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino
(born 1938)
1984 11 October 1984 28 September 1985 352 days Democratic Revolutionary Party
  Eric Arturo Delvalle
(1937–2015)
28 September 1985 26 February 1988 2 years, 151 days Republican Party Acting President.
  Manuel Solís Palma
(1917–2009)
26 February 1988 1 September 1989 1 year, 187 days Democratic Revolutionary Party Acting President.
  Francisco Rodríguez
(born 1938)
1 September 1989 20 December 1989 110 days Democratic Revolutionary Party Provisional President.
Served at the time of the 1989 coup attempt.
Deposed in the US invasion.
27   Guillermo Endara
(1936–2009)
1989 20 December 1989 1 September 1994 4 years, 255 days Panameñista Party
28   Ernesto Pérez Balladares
(born 1946)
1994 1 September 1994 1 September 1999 5 years Democratic Revolutionary Party
29   Mireya Moscoso
(born 1946)
1999 1 September 1999 1 September 2004 5 years Panameñista Party Widow of Arnulfo Arias.
30   Martín Torrijos
(born 1963)
2004 1 September 2004 1 July 2009 4 years, 303 days Democratic Revolutionary Party Son of Omar Torrijos.
31   Ricardo Martinelli
(born 1951)
2009 1 July 2009 1 July 2014 5 years Democratic Change
32   Juan Carlos Varela
(born 1963)
2014 1 July 2014 1 July 2019 5 years Panameñista Party
33   Laurentino Cortizo
(born 1953)
2019 1 July 2019 1 July 2024 5 years Democratic Revolutionary Party
34   José Raúl Mulino
(born 1959)
2024 1 July 2024 Incumbent 146 days Realizing Goals

Military leaders of Panama (1968–1989)

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From 1968 to 1989 a military junta exerted actual control over the country and nominated the president, who himself held little power. The following individuals were leaders of the junta.

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Military affiliation Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
1   Brigadier-General
Omar Torrijos
(1929–1981)
11 October 1968 31 July 1981 12 years, 293 days National Guard Assumed power in the 1968 coup d'état.
Styled as Maximum Leader of the Panamanian Revolution from 11 October 1968.
Killed in an air crash.
2   Colonel
Rubén Darío Paredes
(born 1933)
3 March 1982 12 August 1983 1 year, 162 days National Guard
3   General
Manuel Noriega
(1934–2017)
12 August 1983 20 December 1989 6 years, 130 days National Guard Styled as Maximum Leader of the National Liberation from 15 December 1989.
Deposed in the US invasion.
Panama Defense Forces
(from 29 September 1983.)
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References

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  1. "Shocking Gap Between Latin America's Presidential Salaries And Workers Minimum Wage". Latin Post. 22 June 2017.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 ".:: SomosPanama.com ::". 2 April 2016. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2018.