List of heads of state of Panama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Republic of Panama
Coat of arms of Panama
Presidential standard
Incumbent José Raúl Mulino since 1 July 2024
Residence	Palacio de las Garzas, Panama City
Term length	Five years, renewable once non-consecutively
Precursor	Laurentino Cortizo
Inaugural holder	Manuel Amador Guerrero
Formation	20 February 1904
Deputy	Vice President of Panama
Salary	7,000 USD per month
Website	Presidencia de la República

This article tells you about the heads of state of Panama. These are the leaders who have guided Panama since it first tried to become independent from Republic of New Granada in 1840. It also covers leaders after Panama fully separated from Colombia in 1903. Since 1904, the main leader of Panama has been called the President.

Understanding Panama's Leaders

Panama has had many different leaders throughout its history. This section helps you understand the different groups or parties they belonged to.

     Conservative Party (PC)     National Liberal Party (PLN)     Independent      National Revolutionary Party (PNR)→Panameñista Party (PP)      Authentic Revolutionary Party (PPA)      National Patriotic Coalition (CPN)     Military (National Guard) and (Panama Defense Forces)      Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD)      Republican Party (PR)     Democratic Change (CD)      Realizing Goals (RM)      Denotes acting or provisional president

Important Symbols

• A symbol next to a name means the person passed away while in office.

Leaders of the Free State of the Isthmus (1840–1841)

Panama was briefly independent as the "Free State of the Isthmus" before joining New Granada again.

No.	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Title
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1	Tomás de Herrera, a leader of Panama's early independence efforts.	Tomás de Herrera (1804–1854)	20 March 1841	8 June 1841	80 days	Superior Chief of State
(1)	8 June 1841		31 December 1841	206 days	President

Presidents of the Republic of Panama (1903–present)

Panama became fully independent in 1903. Since then, it has been led by Presidents.

Provisional Leaders (1903–1904)

Right after independence, a group of leaders temporarily governed Panama.

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

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political Party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
3	Demetrio H. Brid, an early leader of independent Panama.	Demetrio H. Brid (1859–1917)	3 November 1903	4 November 1903	1 day	PC

Members of the Provisional Government Junta (1903–1904)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political Party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
4	José Agustín Arango, a member of the first provisional government.	José Agustín Arango (1841–1909)	4 November 1903	20 February 1904	108 days	PLN
5	Tomás Arias, who helped lead Panama after independence.	Tomás Arias (1856–1932)				Independent
6	Federico Boyd, a key figure in Panama's early days.	Federico Boyd (1851–1924)				PLN
7	Manuel Espinosa Batista, another early leader of Panama.	Manuel Espinosa Batista (1857–1919)	9 November 1903	7 December 1903	28 days	PLN

Presidents of Panama (1904–present)

This is a list of all the official Presidents of Panama since 1904.

No.	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political Party
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
1	Manuel Amador Guerrero, Panama's first president.	Manuel Amador Guerrero (1833–1909) First tenure	1904	20 February 1904	23 June 1907	3 years, 123 days	PC
2	José Domingo de Obaldía.	José Domingo de Obaldía (1845–1910) First tenure	—	24 June 1907	27 December 1907	186 days	PLN
(1)	Manuel Amador Guerrero.	Manuel Amador Guerrero (1833–1909) Second tenure	—	29 December 1907	1 October 1908	277 days	PC
(2)	José Domingo de Obaldía.	José Domingo de Obaldía (1845–1910) Second tenure	1908	1 October 1908	1 March 1910	1 year, 151 days	PLN
—	Carlos Antonio Mendoza.	Carlos Antonio Mendoza (1856–1916) Acting President	—	1 March 1910	1 October 1910	214 days	PLN
—	Federico Boyd.	Federico Boyd (1851–1924) Acting President	—	1 October 1910	5 October 1910	4 days	PLN
—	Pablo Arosemena.	Pablo Arosemena (1836–1920) Acting President	—	5 October 1910	1 October 1912	1 year, 362 days	PLN
3	Belisario Porras Barahona.	Belisario Porras Barahona (1856–1942) First tenure	1912	1 October 1912	1 October 1916	4 years	PLN
4	Ramón Maximiliano Valdés.	Ramón Maximiliano Valdés (1867–1918)	1916	1 October 1916	3 June 1918	1 year, 245 days	PLN
—	Ciro Luis Urriola.	Ciro Luis Urriola (1863–1922) Acting President	—	3 June 1918	1 October 1918	120 days	PLN
—	Pedro Antonio Díaz.	Pedro Antonio Díaz (1852–1919) Acting President	—	1 October 1918	12 October 1918	11 days	PC
(3)	Belisario Porras Barahona.	Belisario Porras Barahona (1856–1942) Second tenure	1918	12 October 1918	30 January 1920	1 year, 110 days	PLN
—	Ernesto Tisdel Lefevre.	Ernesto Tisdel Lefevre (1876–1922) Acting President	—	30 January 1920	1 October 1920	245 days	PLN
(3)	Belisario Porras Barahona.	Belisario Porras Barahona (1856–1942) Third tenure	1920	1 October 1920	1 October 1924	4 years	PLN
5	Rodolfo Chiari.	Rodolfo Chiari (1869–1937)	1924	1 October 1924	1 October 1928	4 years	PLN
6	Florencio Harmodio Arosemena.	Florencio Harmodio Arosemena (1872–1945)	1928	1 October 1928	3 January 1931 (Removed from office)	2 years, 94 days	PLN
—	Harmodio Arias Madrid.	Harmodio Arias Madrid (1886–1963) Acting President	—	3 January 1931	16 January 1931	13 days	Independent
7	Ricardo Joaquín Alfaro Jované.	Ricardo Joaquín Alfaro Jované (1882–1971)	—	16 January 1931	5 June 1932	1 year, 141 days	PLN
8	Harmodio Arias Madrid.	Harmodio Arias Madrid (1886–1963)	1932	5 June 1932	1 October 1936	4 years, 118 days	PNR
9	Juan Demóstenes Arosemena.	Juan Demóstenes Arosemena (1879–1939)	1936	1 October 1936	16 December 1939	3 years, 76 days	PLN
—	Ezequiel Fernández.	Ezequiel Fernández (1886–1946) Acting President	—	16 December 1939	18 December 1939	2 days	PNR
—	Augusto Samuel Boyd.	Augusto Samuel Boyd (1879–1957) Acting President	—	18 December 1939	1 October 1940	288 days	PNR
10	Arnulfo Arias.	Arnulfo Arias (1901–1988) First tenure	1940	1 October 1940	9 October 1941 (Removed from office)	1 year, 8 days	PNR
11	Ricardo Adolfo de la Guardia Arango.	Ricardo Adolfo de la Guardia Arango (1899–1969)	—	9 October 1941	15 June 1945	3 years, 249 days	Independent
—	Enrique Adolfo Jiménez.	Enrique Adolfo Jiménez (1888–1970) Provisional president	1945	15 June 1945	7 August 1948	3 years, 53 days	PLN
12	Domingo Díaz Arosemena.	Domingo Díaz Arosemena (1875–1949)	1948	7 August 1948	28 July 1949 (Stepped down)	355 days	PLN
13	Daniel Chanis Pinzón.	Daniel Chanis Pinzón (1892–1961)	—	28 July 1949	20 November 1949	115 days	PLN
14	Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón.	Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón (1905–1981) First tenure	—	20 November 1949	24 November 1949	4 days	PLN
(10)	Arnulfo Arias.	Arnulfo Arias (1901–1988) Second tenure	—	24 November 1949	9 May 1951	1 year, 166 days	PP
15	Alcibíades Arosemena.	Alcibíades Arosemena (1883–1958)	—	9 May 1951	1 October 1952	1 year, 145 days	PPA
16	José Antonio Remón Cantera.	José Antonio Remón Cantera (1908–1955)	1952	1 October 1952	2 January 1955 (Passed away)	2 years, 93 days	CPN
17	José Ramón Guizado.	José Ramón Guizado (1899–1964)	—	2 January 1955	29 March 1955	86 days	CPN
18	Ricardo Arias.	Ricardo Arias (1912–1993)	—	29 March 1955	1 October 1956	1 year, 186 days	CPN
19	Ernesto de la Guardia.	Ernesto de la Guardia (1904–1983)	1956	1 October 1956	1 October 1960	4 years	CPN
(14)	Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón.	Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón (1905–1981) Second tenure	1960	1 October 1960	17 March 1963	2 years, 167 days	PLN
—	Bernardino González Ruiz.	Bernardino González Ruiz (1911–2012) Acting President	—	17 March 1963	23 March 1963	6 days	PAD
(14)	Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón.	Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón (1905–1981) Third tenure	—	23 March 1963	1 October 1964	1 year, 192 days	PLN
20	Marco Aurelio Robles.	Marco Aurelio Robles (1908–1990)	1964	1 October 1964	1 October 1968	4 years	PLN
(10)	Arnulfo Arias.	Arnulfo Arias (1901–1988) Third tenure	1968	1 October 1968	11 October 1968 (Removed from office)	10 days	PP
—	José María Pinilla Fábrega.	José María Pinilla Fábrega (1919–1979) Chairman of the Provisional Junta Ruled jointly with Bolívar Urrutia Parrilla	—	12 October 1968	18 December 1969	1 year, 67 days	National Guard
21	Bolívar Urrutia Parrilla.	Colonel Bolívar Urrutia Parrilla (1918–2005) Ruled jointly with José María Pinilla Fábrega	—	12 October 1968	18 December 1969	1 year, 67 days	National Guard
—	Demetrio B. Lakas.	Demetrio B. Lakas (1925–1999) Chairman of the Provisional Junta from 1969 to 1972	—	19 December 1969	11 October 1972	2 years, 297 days	Independent
22			1972	11 October 1972	11 October 1978	6 years
23	Aristides Royo.	Aristides Royo (born 1940)	1978	11 October 1978	31 July 1982	3 years, 293 days	Independent (until March 1979)
			—				PRD
24	Ricardo de la Espriella.	Ricardo de la Espriella (born 1934)	—	31 July 1982	13 February 1984	1 year, 197 days	PRD
25	Jorge Illueca.	Jorge Illueca (1918–2012)	—	13 February 1984	11 October 1984	241 days	Independent
26	Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino.	Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino (born 1938)	1984	11 October 1984	28 September 1985	352 days	PRD
—	Eric Arturo Delvalle.	Eric Arturo Delvalle (1937–2015) Acting President	—	28 September 1985	26 February 1988	2 years, 151 days	PR
—	Manuel Solís Palma.	Manuel Solís Palma (1917–2009) Acting President	—	26 February 1988	1 September 1989	1 year, 187 days	PRD
—	Francisco Rodríguez.	Francisco Rodríguez (born 1938) Provisional president	—	1 September 1989	20 December 1989 (Removed from office)	110 days	PRD
27	Guillermo Endara.	Guillermo Endara (1936–2009)	1989	20 December 1989	1 September 1994	4 years, 255 days	PP
28	Ernesto Pérez Balladares.	Ernesto Pérez Balladares (born 1946)	1994	1 September 1994	1 September 1999	5 years	PRD
29	Mireya Moscoso.	Mireya Moscoso (born 1946)	1999	1 September 1999	1 September 2004	5 years	PP
30	Martín Torrijos.	Martín Torrijos (born 1963)	2004	1 September 2004	1 July 2009	4 years, 303 days	PRD
31	Ricardo Martinelli.	Ricardo Martinelli (born 1952)	2009	1 July 2009	1 July 2014	5 years	CD
32	Juan Carlos Varela.	Juan Carlos Varela (born 1963)	2014	1 July 2014	1 July 2019	5 years	PP
33	Laurentino Cortizo.	Laurentino Cortizo (born 1953)	2019	1 July 2019	1 July 2024	5 years	PRD
34	José Raúl Mulino.	José Raúl Mulino (born 1959)	2024	1 July 2024	Incumbent	353 days	RM

Military Leaders of Panama (1968–1989)

From 1968 to 1989, military leaders held the real power in Panama. They chose who would be president, but those presidents had very little actual authority. Here are the military leaders who were in charge during that time.

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Military affiliation	Notes
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1	Brigadier-General Omar Torrijos.	Brigadier-General Omar Torrijos (1929–1981)	11 October 1968	31 July 1981	12 years, 293 days	National Guard	Became leader after a change in government in 1968. Called Maximum Leader of the Panamanian Revolution from 1968. Passed away in an air accident.
2	Colonel Rubén Darío Paredes.	Colonel Rubén Darío Paredes (born 1933)	3 March 1982	12 August 1983	1 year, 162 days	National Guard
3	General Manuel Noriega.	General Manuel Noriega (1934–2017)	12 August 1983	20 December 1989	6 years, 130 days	National Guard	Called Maximum Leader of the National Liberation from 1989. Removed from power during a US military action.
						Panama Defense Forces (from 29 September 1983.)

Timeline of Panama's Presidents

This timeline shows when each president or leader was in power. It helps you see the order of leadership in Panama's history.

Latest Presidential Election

Want to know how the current president was chosen? You can find more details about the most recent election here.

See Also

In Spanish: Anexo:Presidentes de Panamá para niños

• Politics of Panama
• List of political parties in Panama
• History of Panama