Chairman of the Provisional Government Junta, 1903-1904

Presidents of Panama, 1904-present

Note- General Manuel Noriega is often wrongly credited as being President of Panama from around 1983 to his arrest and capture by US forces in 1989. Though he held much de facto power over Panama during this period, he was never legally president and co-existed with the actual presidents of the time.

Mireya Elisa Moscoso Rodríguez de Arias (born July 1, 1946) was the President of Panama from 1999 to 2004, representing the Arnulfista Party.

Ms. Moscoso was Panama's first woman president, beating Mr. Torrijos at the last election in 1999. She is the widow of Arnulfo Arias, who had been president three times.  Moscoso has an interior design diploma from the Miami Dade Community College, and she is the widow of former president Arnulfo Arias. She became the first Panamanian woman to be president on September 1, 1999. She ran on a campaign to reduce poverty, improve education, and slow down the country's privatization process. She had run in the previous election (1994), when she was defeated by Ernesto Pérez Balladares of the PRD (Revolutionary Democratic Party).

Her term in office began with huge popularity and hope for change, but throughout her five-year government, numerous scandals of corruption plagued the media, but not even one of her accused allies was even investigated. The most famous one was the known as the "durodollar" scandal, in which her executive secretary filed a complaint with the police because her gardener stole thousand of dollars of her freezer. The gardener was put in jail. No one in the police even asked why a secretary had thousands of dollars on her freezer, under the bed, etc. She only said she "didn't trust in banks".

Needless to say, her popularity at the end of her government was in the lowest for a Panamanian president. At the end of her term in office it was characteristic the inauguration of numerous unfinished public constructions. The new Centennial Bridge over the Panama Canal was inaugurated with big parties by the government, even though it wouldn't be operational in another year because there are still no roads leading to the bridge.

She was succeeded on September 1, 2004 by Martín Torrijos, son of Omar Torrijos (the man who ousted her husband in 1968), who was elected in May 2004 with 47% of the votes. The Arnulfista Party reached only 16%, in distant third place. The blame for this humiliating loss was placed mainly on Moscoso. During the campaign, she openly attended rallies organized by her hand-picked candidate, overshadowing him. Days before the end of her term, she pardoned four Cuban exiles accused of plotting to assassinate Fidel Castro, causing Cuba to break off diplomatic relations with Panama.

With the new government, numerous mechanisms to investigate corruption cases were instituted. It is alleged that Taiwan's donations to the Panamanian government were put under private foundations that were controlled by Moscoso's Cabinet and close friends.

Martin Torrijos

General Omar Torrijos's son, Martin Torrijos, has been voted in as Panama's  president.

His main rival, ex-President Guillermo Endara has conceded defeat to Mr. Torrijos, who is the son of former military leader Omar Torrijos.  The BBC's Claire Marshall says Mr. Torrijos has made full use of his late father's legacy.

Omar Torrijos is seen as the man who got Panama back its canal from the hands of the Americans.  "If my father were here, he would be proud of what we accomplished today," Mr. Torrijos said in his victory speech.

"I invite everyone to join in a new social pact against poverty, corruption and despair, "It will be a social pact of solidarity, social justice, opportunity and prosperity."  Mr. Torrijos, a 41-year-old social democrat, had been the favorite to win Sunday's vote.  He will replace President Mireya Moscoso, who is leaving office after a five-year term - the maximum allowed under the constitution.

Test for democracy

Our correspondent says the election has shown how far the country's democracy has matured in the 15 years since Noriega's departure.  The vote was seen as being free and fair, and no election irregularities were reported. Voter turnout reached nearly 80%.   In his concession speech Mr. Endara said: "I am happy because our democracy emerged from this untouched."

Mr. Endara was president from 1989-94, and was seen as being responsible for Panama's economic recovery after the US invasion and ouster of dictator, Manuel Noriega.  Aged 67, he had dismissed concerns from some that he was too old to be running.

"I'm enjoying good health and I receive vital energy from the people who are accompanying me in this," he said on the campaign trail. But in the end voters consigned him to the past, our correspondent says.

A splendid construction located on a small hill of San Felipe just in front of the beautiful Panama Bay, with 22 rooms,  was built in 1673, by Luis Lozada Quiñones, one of the "Oidores" who administrated the interests of the Spanish Crown in Panama.  Besides his residence, it also this facility had the headquarters for his high position.  Definitively, it was a building that started giving a seal of great distinction to the newly founded city.

Soon this building became in the center of the administrative and commercial activities, deposit for the gold coming from Peru in its way to Spain.  This architectonic jewel was almost completely destroyed by the great fire in 1737, and it was abandoned for more than one century.  In 1815, when the spirit of independence was at its highest level in Panama and all Latin America, and after Panama getting its Independence on Nov. 28, 1821 and uniting voluntarily to Nueva Granada (Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador) under the leadership of Simon Bolivar, the Palace was his central headquarter until 1875, when the Assemblymen decided that this facility would be the official residence for the Presidents.

In 1875, the Palace was repaired and rebuilt, adding new bedrooms and a special room for official receptions, which was given the name SALON AMARILLO, where all the Panamanian Presidents' and Governors' portraits were displayed. 

The room next to the yellow room is the Presidential dining room also known as "Los Tamarindos" or the tamarind trees. These trees yields a fruit similar to an orange. The theme of the murals in this room is the life in the nearby "Taboga Island" were the tamarind tree fruits all year long.  During the administration of President Juan Demostenes Arosemena (1936-1939), the famous painter, Roberto Lewis, created  huge paints which adorned this room.  These paints were restored in 1971, by Beto Lewis, son of the famous painter, during the government of President Demetrio Basilio Lakas.

The building has also served a variety of roles in its long history.  It was originally the Spanish Governor of Panama's mansion.  After that, it became in turn a school, The Royal Court House, a customs building, The House of Government, and the main offices of the National Bank of Panama. 

In 1934, President Harmodio Arias, installed an elevator to accommodate the American President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, during his stay as special guest, due to his paraplegic condition (lower extremities) secondary to poliomyelitis during his youth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The building became known as the Palace of the Herons in 1922, when two white herons were presented to then President Belisario Porras by his friend Poet Ricardo Miro. The herons took up residence in the main courtyard and walk freely in central courtyard built in traditional Andalusian style.  Although never officially admitted or confirmed, during the 1977 visit by US President Jimmy Carter to sign the treaty with Panamanian President Torrijos an accident befell the herons. The US security detail in preparation of Carter's arrival sprayed the courtyard with a disinfectant. Supposedly, it proved fatal to the herons. A new pair had to be quickly sneaked into the Palace under cover of darkness to avoid a potentially embarrassing situation. Eventually, it was designated the official residence of the President of the Republic of Panama. Over the centuries, the building has gone through numerous additions and modifications including the addition of a second floor in 1992, and then later a third floor. 

The first floor of the Palace was elegantly designed with marble and a fountain. It was a refreshing site to look at. To my surprise, I found herons relaxing around the fountain. The brochure says that the herons were given to a president and ever since then presidents have kept nine herons near the fountain, each representing a province of Panama. The herons are from Darien (a province of Panama).

 

The second floor is decorated with statues. Each statue is located at the edges of the floor. Our guide explained that each statue represents a quality that a president should have. Diligence, intellect, perseverance...

The Yellow room is located in the second floor. It is a gorgeous room, decorated in yellow and reserved for state affairs and visitors. The small portraits you see in the picture are former Colombian governors of Panama. Those portraits surround the room. Curious as to why some students are gawking at the wall? It is because they are observing some murals.

 

 

 

This is a mural depicting Balboa, discoverer of the Pacific Oceans.

This one is about the encounter of the  Spaniards and the indigenous people of Panama.

 

he beautiful woman in white is wearing a traditional Panamanian dress called the Pollera. The ships behind her are visitors who have come to pay homage to her. I think this drawing symbolizes the peace of Panama and it's prosperity after the wars between the civilizations ended. These murals aided with imagination makes a history book of Panama unnecessary.

In 1978, President Aristides Royo and his wife modernized the building, adding more offices and a conference room, Presidents Manuel Solís Palma and Francisco Rodríguez added new conference rooms as well.  One of those is called "Peace Room" and the other, President Ernesto Pérez Balladares in 1994 named it "Belisario Porras Room".

The Presidential Palace has had distinguished personalities such as:

  •  Visit of Count Ferdinand de Lesseps in 1871 for the Inauguration of the Frech Canal.

  •  Visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

  •  King Juan Carlos de Borbon of Spain in 2000.

  •  Prince Albert Grimaldi of Monaco in 2003.

  •  Prince of Asturias.