List of heads of state of Panama

President of the Republic of Panama Presidente de la República de Panama
Presidential Seal
Presidential Standard
Incumbent Ricardo Martinelli since 1 July 2009
Residence	Palacio de las Garzas
Term length	Five years, renewable after five years
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 Tomás de Herrera
• 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		Took office	Left office	Party
1	Manuel Amador Guerrero		20 February 1904	1 October 1908	Conservative Party
2	José Domingo de Obaldía		1 October 1908	1 March 1910	National Liberal Party
	Carlos Antonio Mendoza (acting)		1 March 1910	1 October 1910	National Liberal Party
	Federico Boyd (acting)		1 October 1910	5 October 1910	National Liberal Party
	Pablo Arosemena (acting)		5 October 1910	1 October 1912	National Liberal Party
3	Belisario Porras Barahona		1 October 1912	1 October 1916	National Liberal Party
4	Ramón Maximiliano Valdés		1 October 1916	3 June 1918	National Liberal Party
	Ciro Luis Urriola (acting)		3 June 1918	1 October 1918	National Liberal Party
	Pedro Antonio Díaz (acting)		1 October 1918	12 October 1918	Conservative Party
5	Belisario Porras Barahona		12 October 1918	30 January 1920	National Liberal Party
	Ernesto Tisdel Lefevre (acting)		30 January 1920	1 October 1920	National Liberal Party
6	Belisario Porras Barahona		1 October 1920	1 October 1924	National Liberal Party
7	Rodolfo Chiari		1 October 1924	1 October 1928	National Liberal Party
8	Florencio Harmodio Arosemena		1 October 1928	3 January 1931	National Liberal Party
	Harmodio Arias Madrid (acting)		3 January 1931	16 January 1931	None
9	Ricardo Joaquín Alfaro Jované		16 January 1931	5 June 1932	National Liberal Party
10	Harmodio Arias Madrid		5 June 1932	1 October 1936	National Revolutionary Party
11	Juan Demóstenes Arosemena		1 October 1936	16 December 1939	National Liberal Party
	Ezequiel Fernández (acting)		16 December 1939	18 December 1939	National Revolutionary Party
	Augusto Samuel Boyd (acting)		18 December 1939	1 October 1940	National Revolutionary Party
12	Arnulfo Arias		1 October 1940	9 October 1941	National Revolutionary Party
13	Ricardo Adolfo de la Guardia Arango		9 October 1941	15 June 1945	None
	Enrique Adolfo Jiménez (provisional)		15 June 1945	7 August 1948	National Liberal Party
14	Domingo Díaz Arosemena		7 August 1948	28 July 1949	National Liberal Party
15	Daniel Chanis Pinzón		28 July 1949	20 November 1949	National Liberal Party
16	Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón		20 November 1949	24 November 1949	National Liberal Party
17	Arnulfo Arias		24 November 1949	9 May 1951	Panameñista Party
18	Alcibíades Arosemena		9 May 1951	1 October 1952	Authentic Revolutionary Party
19	José Antonio Remón Cantera		1 October 1952	2 January 1955	National Patriotic Coalition
20	José Ramón Guizado		2 January 1955	29 March 1955	National Patriotic Coalition
21	Ricardo Arias		29 March 1955	1 October 1956	National Patriotic Coalition
22	Ernesto de la Guardia		1 October 1956	1 October 1960	National Patriotic Coalition
23	Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón		1 October 1960	1 October 1964	National Liberal Party
24	Marco Aurelio Robles		1 October 1964	1 October 1968	National Liberal Party
25	Arnulfo Arias		1 October 1968	11 October 1968	Panameñista Party
26	José María Pinilla Fábrega		12 October 1968	18 December 1969	Military
27	Demetrio B. Lakas		19 December 1969	11 October 1978	None
28	Aristides Royo		11 October 1978	31 July 1982	Democratic Revolutionary Party
29	Ricardo de la Espriella		31 July 1982	13 February 1984	Democratic Revolutionary Party
30	Jorge Illueca		13 February 1984	11 October 1984	None
31	Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino		11 October 1984	28 September 1985	Democratic Revolutionary Party
	Eric Arturo Delvalle (acting)		28 September 1985	26 February 1988	Republican Party
	Manuel Solís Palma (acting)		26 February 1988	1 September 1989	Democratic Revolutionary Party
	Francisco Rodríguez (provisional)		1 September 1989	20 December 1989	Democratic Revolutionary Party
32	Guillermo Endara		20 December 1989	1 September 1994	Panameñista Party
33	Ernesto Pérez Balladares		1 September 1994	1 September 1999	Democratic Revolutionary Party
34	Mireya Moscoso		1 September 1999	1 September 2004	Panameñista Party
35	Martín Torrijos		1 September 2004	1 July 2009	Democratic Revolutionary Party
36	Ricardo Martinelli		1 July 2009	Incumbent	Democratic Change

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

Main article: Panamanian general election, 2009

  Summary of the 3 May 2009 Panamanian presidential election results

Candidates	Parties	Votes	%
Ricardo Martinelli	Democratic Change, Patriotic Union Party, Panameñista Party, Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement	952,333	59.97
Balbina Herrera	Democratic Revolutionary Party, People's Party, Liberal Party	597,227	37.70
Guillermo Endara	Fatherland's Moral Vanguard Party	36,867	2.33
Valid votes (turnout 73.99%)		1,558,445	100.0
Blank votes		19,105	1.17
Invalid votes		30,976	1.89
Total votes		1,636,508	100.00
Source: Tribunal Electoral

See also

• History of Panama

External links

• WorldStatesmen- Panama