Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nicolás Ardito Barletta
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Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino in 2014.
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| 26th President of Panama | |
| In office 11 October 1984 – 28 September 1985 |
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| Vice President |
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| Preceded by | Jorge Illueca |
| Succeeded by | Eric Arturo Delvalle |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino
21 August 1938 Aguadulce, Panama |
| Political party | Democratic Revolutionary Party |
| Spouse | Maria Consuelo Rivera |
| Alma mater | North Carolina State University |
| Occupation | Politician, economist |
Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino (born on August 21, 1938) is a politician from Panama. He was the 26th President of Panama from October 11, 1984, to September 28, 1985. He ran for president with the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) in the 1984 elections.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Nicolás Ardito Barletta went to North Carolina State University. In 1959, he earned a degree in Agricultural Engineering. Later, he got a master's degree in Agricultural Economics. In 1971, he received his doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago. His PhD paper was about the costs and benefits of farming research in Mexico.
Career Before Presidency
From 1968 to 1970, and again from 1973 to 1978, Barletta was a trusted advisor to General Omar Torrijos. He served as the minister of planning and economic policy. He also led the national banking commission. He was part of Panama's team that negotiated the economic parts of the Panama Canal Treaty.
From 1978 to 1984, he worked as the World Bank vice president. He was in charge of Latin America and the Caribbean. In late 1983, President Ricardo de la Espriella asked him to run for president.
Becoming President (1984-1985)
The 1984 Election
In February 1984, President Ricardo de la Espriella suddenly resigned. His vice president, Jorge Illueca, took over but did not run for a full term. Nicolás Ardito Barletta became the candidate for a group of parties. This group was supported by the National Guard.
His main opponent was Arnulfo Arias, an 82-year-old politician. Arias had been president three times before, but was removed by the military each time.
The 1984 election was Panama's first after 16 years of military rule. This change was part of the agreement for the Panama Canal Treaty in 1977. Ardito Barletta was one of the negotiators for Panama.
Arias promised to reduce the military's power in politics. Ardito Barletta promised to bring back democracy. He also focused on improving the economy and having an honest government.
The election campaign was very tough. Both sides believed they would win. Arias and his supporters claimed that Ardito Barletta's campaign was unfair. Most of the news media, like TV and newspapers, supported the government's candidate.
Voting day on May 6, 1984, was peaceful. However, violence broke out the next day. This happened in front of the building where the election board was meeting. One person died. The opposition claimed there was cheating and fraud in the election.
The final vote count was delayed. Both sides claimed victory. When early results showed Arias winning by a lot, Manuel Noriega, the military leader, stopped the counting. After changing the results, the government announced that Barletta had won by a small margin of 1,713 votes. Many believed Arias should have won by a much larger number.
On May 16, 1984, Ardito Barletta was officially declared the winner. The U.S. government knew about the issues with the election. However, they said Barletta's win was a step towards democracy in Panama.
Time as President
Ardito Barletta became president on October 11, 1984. He was known for being serious and quiet. In his first speech, he promised to fix the economy. He also pledged to fight corruption and unite Panama's political groups.
He quickly started to deal with the country's economic problems. He sought help from international organizations. He wanted to modernize the government and grow the economy by 5% each year.
On November 13, 1984, he announced new economic measures. These were needed to get a large loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The measures included a 7% tax on services and less money for government departments. People protested a lot, and there were strikes. Ten days later, he canceled some of these measures.
Ardito Barletta's way of leading also bothered Panamanian politicians. They were used to a more informal style. The military promised to support his plans. However, they made it harder for him to negotiate with business leaders and workers.
While Ardito Barletta was visiting New York City, a government critic named Hugo Spadafora was found murdered. Spadafora had said he had proof linking Noriega to crimes. Spadafora's family claimed witnesses saw him with Panamanian security forces. This was just before his body was found on September 14, 1985.
Ardito Barletta promised to find those responsible for the murder. He suggested an independent group investigate the crime. After a meeting with military commanders, Ardito Barletta resigned on September 27, 1985. He had been president for only eleven months. His first vice president, Eric Arturo Delvalle, took over the next day.
Ardito Barletta's removal was seen as the beginning of the end for Noriega's power. Washington had hoped Ardito Barletta would help Panama become a democracy. Within four years, Noriega was removed from office by American military action.
After Being President
After his presidency, Ardito Barletta was the General Administrator of the Interoceanic Region Authority (ARI). This was from 1995 to 2000. This agency was in charge of managing the former Canal Zone. Its goal was to help the area become part of Panama's national development.
Today, Ardito Barletta is a member of The Inter-American Dialogue. This is a group that studies important issues in Washington.
Sources
- Panama: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1987. Sandra W. Meditz and Dennis M. Hanratty, editors.
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Jorge Illueca |
President of Panama 1984–1985 |
Succeeded by Eric Arturo Delvalle |
See also
In Spanish: Nicolás Ardito Barletta para niños
