List of heads of state of Panama

President of the Republic of Panama Presidente de la República de Panama
Presidential Standard
Presidential Seal
Incumbent Juan Carlos Varela since 1 July 2014
Residence	Palacio de las Garzas
Term length	Five years, not eligible for re-election immediately
Inaugural holder	Manuel Amador Guerrero
Formation	20 February 1904
Website	Presidencia de la República

Panama
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This page lists presidents of Panama since independence in 1840 and in 1903.

Short-lived first independence (1840–1841)

• Superior Civil Chief: 18 November 1840 – 20 March 1841 General Juan Lopez
• Superior Chief of State: 20 March 1841 – 8 June 1841 the same Tomás de Herrera
• President: 8 June 1841 – 31 December 1841 the same Tomás de Herrera

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

• Demetrio H. Brid: 3 November 1903 – 4 November 1903

Members of the Provisional Government Junta (1903–1904)

• José Agustín Arango: 4 November 1903 – 20 February 1904
• Tomás Arias: 4 November 1903 – 20 February 1904
• Federico Boyd: 4 November 1903 – 20 February 1904
• Manuel Espinosa Batista: 9 November 1903 – 7 December 1903

Presidents of Panama (1904–present)

№	President (Birth-Death)		Took office	Left office	Party
1	Manuel Amador Guerrero (1833-1909)		20 February 1904	1 October 1908	Conservative Party
2	José Domingo de Obaldía (1845-1910)		1 October 1908	1 March 1910	National Liberal Party
	Carlos Antonio Mendoza (1856-1916) Acting President		1 March 1910	1 October 1910	National Liberal Party
	Federico Boyd (1851-1924) Acting President		1 October 1910	5 October 1910	National Liberal Party
	Pablo Arosemena (1836-1920) Acting President		5 October 1910	1 October 1912	National Liberal Party
3	Belisario Porras Barahona (1856-1942)		1 October 1912	1 October 1916	National Liberal Party
4	Ramón Maximiliano Valdés (1867-1918)		1 October 1916	3 June 1918	National Liberal Party
	Ciro Luis Urriola (1863-1922) Acting President		3 June 1918	1 October 1918	National Liberal Party
	Pedro Antonio Díaz (1852-1919) Acting President		1 October 1918	12 October 1918	Conservative Party
5	Belisario Porras Barahona (1856-1942)		12 October 1918	30 January 1920	National Liberal Party
	Ernesto Tisdel Lefevre (1876-1922) Acting President		30 January 1920	1 October 1920	National Liberal Party
6	Belisario Porras Barahona (1856-1942)		1 October 1920	1 October 1924	National Liberal Party
7	Rodolfo Chiari (1869-1937)		1 October 1924	1 October 1928	National Liberal Party
8	Florencio Harmodio Arosemena (1872-1945)		1 October 1928	3 January 1931	National Liberal Party
	Harmodio Arias Madrid (1886-1963) Acting President		3 January 1931	16 January 1931	None
9	Ricardo Joaquín Alfaro Jované (1882-1971)		16 January 1931	5 June 1932	National Liberal Party
10	Harmodio Arias Madrid (1886-1963)		5 June 1932	1 October 1936	National Revolutionary Party
11	Juan Demóstenes Arosemena (1879-1939)		1 October 1936	16 December 1939	National Liberal Party
	Ezequiel Fernández (1886-1946) Acting President		16 December 1939	18 December 1939	National Revolutionary Party
	Augusto Samuel Boyd (1879-1957) Acting President		18 December 1939	1 October 1940	National Revolutionary Party
12	Arnulfo Arias (1901-1988)		1 October 1940	9 October 1941	National Revolutionary Party
13	Ricardo Adolfo de la Guardia Arango (1899-1969)		9 October 1941	15 June 1945	None
	Enrique Adolfo Jiménez (1888-1970) (provisional)		15 June 1945	7 August 1948	National Liberal Party
14	Domingo Díaz Arosemena (1875-1949)		7 August 1948	28 July 1949	National Liberal Party
15	Daniel Chanis Pinzón (1892-1961)		28 July 1949	20 November 1949	National Liberal Party
16	Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón (1905-1981)		20 November 1949	24 November 1949	National Liberal Party
17	Arnulfo Arias (1901-1988)		24 November 1949	9 May 1951	Panameñista Party
18	Alcibíades Arosemena (1883-1958)		9 May 1951	1 October 1952	Authentic Revolutionary Party
19	José Antonio Remón Cantera (1908-1955)		1 October 1952	2 January 1955	National Patriotic Coalition
20	José Ramón Guizado (1899-1964)		2 January 1955	29 March 1955	National Patriotic Coalition
21	Ricardo Arias (1912-1993)		29 March 1955	1 October 1956	National Patriotic Coalition
22	Ernesto de la Guardia (1904-1983)		1 October 1956	1 October 1960	National Patriotic Coalition
23	Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón (1905-1981)		1 October 1960	1 October 1964	National Liberal Party
24	Marco Aurelio Robles (1908-1990)		1 October 1964	1 October 1968	National Liberal Party
25	Arnulfo Arias (1901-1988)		1 October 1968	11 October 1968	Panameñista Party
26	José María Pinilla Fábrega (1919-1979) and Bolívar Urrutia Parrilla (1918-2005)		12 October 1968	18 December 1969	Military
27	Demetrio B. Lakas (1925-1999)		19 December 1969	11 October 1978	None
28	Aristides Royo (1940-)		11 October 1978	31 July 1982	Democratic Revolutionary Party
29	Ricardo de la Espriella (1934-)		31 July 1982	13 February 1984	Democratic Revolutionary Party
30	Jorge Illueca (1918-2012)		13 February 1984	11 October 1984	None
31	Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino (1938-)		11 October 1984	28 September 1985	Democratic Revolutionary Party
	Eric Arturo Delvalle (1937-2015) Acting President		28 September 1985	26 February 1988	Republican Party
	Manuel Solís Palma (1917-2009) Acting President		26 February 1988	1 September 1989	Democratic Revolutionary Party
	Francisco Rodríguez (1938-) (provisional)		1 September 1989	20 December 1989	Democratic Revolutionary Party
32	Guillermo Endara (1936-2009)		20 December 1989	1 September 1994	Panameñista Party
33	Ernesto Pérez Balladares (1946-)		1 September 1994	1 September 1999	Democratic Revolutionary Party
34	Mireya Moscoso (1946-)		1 September 1999	1 September 2004	Panameñista Party
35	Martín Torrijos (1963-)		1 September 2004	1 July 2009	Democratic Revolutionary Party
36	Ricardo Martinelli (1952-)		1 July 2009	1 July 2014	Democratic Change
37	Juan Carlos Varela (1963-)		1 July 2014	Incumbent	Panameñista Party

Military (de facto) leaders of Panama (1968–1989)

From 1968 to 1989, the commandant of the Panamanian Defense Forces (known as the National Guard until 1983) was the de facto leader of Panama.

• Brigadier General Omar Torrijos: 11 October 1968 – 31 July 1981
• Colonel Florencio Flores Aguilar: 31 July 1981 – 3 March 1982
• Colonel Rubén Darío Paredes: 3 March 1982 – 12 August 1983
• General Manuel Noriega: 12 August 1983 – 20 December 1989

Latest election

See also

• History of Panama

References

External links

• WorldStatesmen- Panama

Presidents and heads of state of Panama Manuel Amador Guerrero José Domingo de Obaldía Carlos Mendoza Federico Boyd Pablo Arosemena Belisario Porras Ramón Valdés Ciro Urriola Pedro Díaz Belisario Porras Ernesto Lefevre Belisario Porras Rodolfo Chiari Florencio Arosemena Harmodio Arias Ricardo Alfaro Harmodio Arias Juan Arosemena Ezequiel Fernández Augusto Boyd Arnulfo Arias Ricardo de la Guardia Enrique Jiménez Domingo Díaz Arosemena Daniel Chanis Roberto Chiari Arnulfo Arias Alcibíades Arosemena José Remón José Ramón Guizado Ricardo Arias Ernesto de la Guardia Roberto Chiari Marco Aurelio Robles Arnulfo Arias José María Pinilla Demetrio Lakas Aristides Royo Ricardo de la Espriella Jorge Illueca Nicolás Barletta Eric Delvalle Manuel Solís Francisco Rodríguez Guillermo Endara Ernesto Pérez Balladares Mireya Moscoso Martín Torrijos Ricardo Martinelli Juan Carlos Varela   Commander of the Panamanian Defense Forces (1968–1989) Omar Torrijos Florencio Flores Aguilar Rubén Darío Paredes Manuel Noriega

Years in Panama (1903-present) 1903 1910 1920 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019