List of heads of state of Panama explained

Post:President
Body:the Republic of Panama
Flag:Coat of arms of Panama.svg
Flagsize:110px
Flagcaption:Coat of arms of Panama
Insignia:Presidential Flag of Panama.svgborder
Insigniasize:120px
Insigniacaption:Presidential standard
Incumbent:José Raúl Mulino
Incumbentsince:1 July 2024
Residence:Palacio de las Garzas, Panama City
Termlength:Five years, renewable once non-consecutively
Precursor:Laurentino Cortizo
Formation:20 February 1904
Salary:7,000 USD per month[1]
Inaugural:Manuel Amador Guerrero
Deputy:Vice President of Panama
Website:Presidencia de la República

This article lists the heads of state of Panama since the short-lived first independence from the Republic of New Granada in 1840 and the final separation from Colombia in 1903. Since 1904 the head of state of Panama has been the President of Panama.

List of officeholders

Political parties
  • Status

    • Symbols

    Died in office

    Free State of the Isthmus (1840–1841)

    Portrait President
    		Term of officeTitle
    Took officeLeft officeTime in office
    1Tomás de Herrera
    		20 March 18418 June 1841Superior Chief of State
    (1)8 June 184131 December 1841President

    Republic of Panama (1903–present)

    President of the Municipal Council of Panama and de facto President (1903)
    Portrait width=150 rowspan=2Name
    		width=100 colspan=3Term of officePolitical Party
    Took officeLeft officeTime in office
    3Demetrio H. Brid
    		3 November 19034 November 1903PC
    Members of the Provisional Government Junta (1903–1904)
    Portrait width=150 rowspan=2Name
    		width=100 colspan=3Term of officePolitical Party
    Took officeLeft officeTime in office
    4José Agustín Arango
    		4 November 190320 February 1904PLN
    5Tomás Arias
    		Independent
    6Federico Boyd
    		PLN
    7Manuel Espinosa Batista
    		9 November 19037 December 1903PLN
    ! rowspan="2"
    PortraitPresident
    		ElectedTerm of officePolitical Party
    Took officeLeft officeTime in office
    1Manuel Amador Guerrero

    		190420 February 190423 June 1907[2] PC
    2José Domingo de Obaldía

    		—24 June 190727 December 1907PLN
    (1)Manuel Amador Guerrero

    		—29 December 19071 October 1908PC
    (2)José Domingo de Obaldía

    		19081 October 19081 March 1910PLN
    —Carlos Antonio Mendoza

    		—1 March 19101 October 1910PLN
    —Federico Boyd

    		—1 October 19105 October 1910PLN
    —Pablo Arosemena

    		—5 October 19101 October 1912PLN
    3Belisario Porras Barahona

    		19121 October 19121 October 1916 yearsPLN
    4Ramón Maximiliano Valdés
    		19161 October 19163 June 1918PLN
    —Ciro Luis Urriola

    		—3 June 19181 October 1918PLN
    —Pedro Antonio Díaz

    		—1 October 191812 October 1918PC
    (3)Belisario Porras Barahona

    		191812 October 191830 January 1920PLN
    —Ernesto Tisdel Lefevre

    		—30 January 19201 October 1920PLN
    (3)Belisario Porras Barahona

    		19201 October 19201 October 1924 yearsPLN
    5Rodolfo Chiari
    		19241 October 19241 October 1928 yearsPLN
    6Florencio Harmodio Arosemena
    		19281 October 19283 January 1931
    		PLN
    —Harmodio Arias Madrid

    		—3 January 193116 January 1931Independent
    7Ricardo Joaquín Alfaro Jované
    		—16 January 19315 June 1932PLN
    8Harmodio Arias Madrid
    		19325 June 19321 October 1936PNR
    9Juan Demóstenes Arosemena
    		19361 October 193616 December 1939PLN
    —Ezequiel Fernández

    		—16 December 193918 December 1939PNR
    —Augusto Samuel Boyd

    		—18 December 19391 October 1940PNR
    10Arnulfo Arias

    		19401 October 19409 October 1941
    		PNR
    11Ricardo Adolfo de la Guardia Arango
    		—9 October 194115 June 1945Independent
    —Enrique Adolfo Jiménez

    		194515 June 19457 August 1948PLN
    12Domingo Díaz Arosemena
    		19487 August 194828 July 1949
    		PLN
    13Daniel Chanis Pinzón
    		—28 July 194920 November 1949PLN
    14Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón

    		—20 November 194924 November 1949PLN
    (10)Arnulfo Arias

    		—24 November 19499 May 1951PP
    15Alcibíades Arosemena
    		—9 May 19511 October 1952PPA
    16José Antonio Remón Cantera
    		19521 October 19522 January 1955
    		CPN
    17José Ramón Guizado
    		—2 January 195529 March 1955CPN
    18Ricardo Arias
    		—29 March 19551 October 1956CPN
    19Ernesto de la Guardia
    		19561 October 19561 October 1960 yearsCPN
    (14)Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón

    		19601 October 196017 March 1963PLN
    —Bernardino González Ruiz

    		—17 March 196323 March 1963PAD
    (14)Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón

    		—23 March 19631 October 1964PLN
    20Marco Aurelio Robles
    		19641 October 19641 October 1968 yearsPLN
    (10)Arnulfo Arias

    		19681 October 196811 October 1968
    		PP
    —José María Pinilla Fábrega


    		—12 October 196818 December 1969National Guard
    21
    Bolívar Urrutia Parrilla

    		—12 October 196818 December 1969National Guard
    —Demetrio B. Lakas

    		—19 December 196911 October 1972Independent
    22197211 October 197211 October 1978 years
    23Aristides Royo
    		197811 October 197831 July 1982Independent
    —PRD
    24Ricardo de la Espriella
    		—31 July 198213 February 1984PRD
    25Jorge Illueca
    		—13 February 198411 October 1984Independent
    26Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino
    		198411 October 198428 September 1985PRD
    —Eric Arturo Delvalle

    		—28 September 198526 February 1988PR
    —Manuel Solís Palma

    		—26 February 19881 September 1989PRD
    —Francisco Rodríguez

    		—1 September 198920 December 1989
    		PRD
    27Guillermo Endara
    		198920 December 19891 September 1994PP
    28Ernesto Pérez Balladares
    		19941 September 19941 September 1999 yearsPRD
    29Mireya Moscoso
    		19991 September 19991 September 2004 yearsPP
    30Martín Torrijos
    		20041 September 20041 July 2009PRD
    31Ricardo Martinelli
    		20091 July 20091 July 2014 yearsCD
    32Juan Carlos Varela
    		20141 July 20141 July 2019 yearsPP
    33Laurentino Cortizo
    		20191 July 20191 July 2024 yearsPRD
    34José Raúl Mulino
    		20241 July 2024IncumbentRM

    Military leaders of Panama (1968–1989)

    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.

    PortraitName
    		Term of officeMilitary affiliationNotes
    Took officeLeft officeTime in office
    1
    Omar Torrijos
    		11 October 196831 July 1981National Guard
    2
    Rubén Darío Paredes
    		3 March 198212 August 1983National Guard
    3
    Manuel Noriega
    		12 August 198320 December 1989National Guard
    Panama Defense Forces

    Latest election

    See main article: 2024 Panamanian general election.

    See also

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Shocking Gap Between Latin America's Presidential Salaries And Workers Minimum Wage . 22 June 2017 . Latin Post . 4 November 2019 . 18 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211118114659/https://www.latinpost.com/articles/141919/20170622/comparing-latin-america-s-presidential-salaries-minimum-wage-shocking.htm . live .
    2. Web site: .:: SomosPanama.com ::. . 2 April 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160402144428/http://www.somospanama.com/personajes/presidentes/amador.php . 2 April 2016 . 7 April 2018.

    This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of heads of state of Panama".

    Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.