Ricardo Lombana Explained

Ricardo Lombana
Birth Name:Ricardo Alberto Lombana González
Birth Date:26 November 1973
Birth Place:Panama City, Panama
Occupation:Lawyer, journalist, politician
Spouse:Aileen Adames (matr. 2000; div. 2023)
Children:2
Party:Another Way Movement

Ricardo Alberto Lombana González (born 26 November 1973) is a Panamanian lawyer and politician. He ran for the presidency in the 2019 Panamanian general election as an independent candidate receiving 18.78% of the vote.[1]

Biography

Lombana was born in Panama City. His father, Roberto Lombana, is a native of Proaza, Asturias, Spain[2] and he is the great-nephew of Clara González, who founded the National Feminist Party of Panama in the 1920s and was the first Panamanian female lawyer.[3]

Lombana studied at the Lasallian school of Colegio De La Salle in Panama City after which he attended the University of Panama, where he obtained a law degree in 1998. Two years later, in 2000, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he obtained a master's degree in International and Comparative Law at George Washington University. He then went on to study International Human Rights Law at the University of Oxford, and International Economic Policy, Securities and Tax Law at Harvard University.[4]

Following his studies in 2002, he was appointed special delegate for freedom of expression in the Ombudsman's Office before working in the Panamanian embassy in Washington, D.C., first as Minister Counsellor, before being appointed counsul general from 1 September 2004 till 19 March 2007. Lombana also worked at the newspaper La Prensa as chief of information and then editorial deputy director. In 2008, Lombana joined the law firm Galindo, Arias & López and remained a part of it until 2013, when he founded his own law firm Lombana Law & Media.

Lombana also ran an anti-corruption campaign called "‘Juego Limpio Panamá" (Play Fair Panama).

In 2017, he announced his intention to run as an Independent for President in the May 2019 election. On 24 December 2018, Lombana chose the former magistrate of the Electoral Tribunal, Guillermo Márquez Amado, as his running mate. After obtaining 108,492 signatures, Lombana was accepted as a candidate. His campaign called for austerity, a new constitution, anti-corruption measures, social security reforms and immigration control.[5] [6]

In the election, he came third with 18.78% of the vote.[7] He announced that he would run again in the 2024 election and as a first step announced the creation of the Movimiento Otro Camino political party,[8] but eventurally still lost in the second place with 24.59% of the vote.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Inicio de campaña de Ricardo Lombana. Start of Ricardo Lombana's campaign. 30 January 2022. La Estrella de Panamá. es.
  2. Web site: Ricardo Lombana, hijo y nieto de proacinos, opta a la presidencia de Panamá. Ricardo Lombana, son and grandson of proacinos, opts for the presidency of Panama. 30 January 2022. es. La Voz del Trubia . 8 September 2017.
  3. Web site: Biografía de Clara González en la Sesión de historia. Biography of Clara González in the History Session. es. Ministry of Government. 16 March 2017. 30 January 2022.
  4. Web site: Ricardo Lombana, luchador acérrimo de la corrupción. Ricardo Lombana, staunch fighter against corruption. 10 January 2019. 30 January 2022. .
  5. Web site: Lombana firma compromiso ciudadano y responde a cuestionamientos. Lombana signs citizen commitment and responds to questions. es. 12 March 2019. 30 January 2022. .
  6. Web site: Candidatos coinciden en que Gobierno perdió al país. Candidates agree that the Government lost the country. 21 March 2019. 30 January 2022. Egbert Lewis. es. Panamá América.
  7. Web site: 2019 Election Results. . 30 January 2022.
  8. Web site: Anuncian creación de partido Movimiento Otro Camino. Announcement of creation of party Movement Another Way. es. 27 October 2019. 30 January 2022. Movimiento Otro Camino.