Juan Carlos Varela

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Juan Carlos Varela
File:Juan Carlos Varela (2014).jpg
37th President of Panama
In office
1 July 2014 – 1 July 2019
Vice President Isabel Saint Malo
Preceded by Ricardo Martinelli
Succeeded by Laurentino Cortizo
Vice-President of Panama
In office
1 July 2009 – 1 July 2014
President Ricardo Martinelli
Preceded by Samuel Lewis Navarro
Succeeded by Isabel Saint Malo
Minister of Foreign Relations
In office
1 July 2009 – 30 August 2012
President Ricardo Martinelli
Preceded by Samuel Lewis Navarro
Succeeded by Roberto Henriquez
Personal details
Born Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez
(1963-12-12) 12 December 1963 (age 60)
Panama City, Panama
Political party Panameñista Party
Spouse(s) Lorena Castillo García (m. 1992–present),
now styled Honorable Señora Lorena Castillo de Varela
Alma mater Georgia Institute of Technology (BS)
Signature Juan Carlos Varela's signature

Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [xwaŋ ˈkaɾloz βaˈɾela roˈðɾiɣes]; born 13 December 1963) is a Panamanian politician and the President of Panama from 2014 to 2019. Varela was Vice President of Panama from 2009 to 2014, and Minister of Foreign Relations from July 2009 to August 2011. He was President of the Panameñistas, the third-largest political party in Panama, from 2006 to 2016.

Varela won the 2014 presidential election with over 39% of the votes, against the Cambio Democrático Party, led by his former political partner Ricardo Martinelli, whose candidate was José Domingo Arias.[1] He was sworn in as president on 1 July 2014.

Early life and education

Born in Panama City to Luis José Varela Arjona and Bexie Esther Rodríguez Pedreschi.[2][3] Varela is a businessman and entrepreneur, whose family hails from Herrera Province. His paternal grandfather José Varela Blanco emigrated from Bergondo, Galicia in Spain and settled in the district of Pesé, Herrera in Panama.[4] After graduating from Colegio Javier, he attended the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering in 1985.[5]

Career

In the private sector, Varela has been on the board of his family company since 1986, serving as Executive Vice-President of Varela Hermanos S.A. until 2008.[6]

Varela entered politics in the early 1990s, becoming chief of the Panameñista Party campaign in 1994 and was the Panameñista Party's presidential candidate during the 2009 election; Varela joined forces with his rival, Ricardo Martinelli, as vice-presidential candidate, being sworn in on 1 July 2009 as Vice-President of Panama under President Martinelli.[7] Varela won the 2014 presidential election, winning against the ruling-party candidate José Domingo Arias, who was supported by Cambio Democrático, a party led by outgoing President Ricardo Martinelli. Varela won about 39% of the vote against 32% for Arias.[8] The subject announced he would seek to change the legislative body through constitutional changes.[9]

He is suspected of being involved in the Odebrecht corruption scandal (a Brazilian company that paid bribes to politicians)[10]

Its popularity is affected by declining economic activity, rising living costs, corruption scandals and the crisis in the health and justice sectors.[11]

Styles of
Juan Carlos Varela
Coat of arms of Panama.svg
Reference style His Excellency
Spoken style Your Excellency
Alternative style Sir

Personal life

Cross pro merito Melitensi

He is the son of José Varela and Beixie née Rodríguez. Varela married Panamanian journalist Lorena Castillo in 1992.[12]

See also

References

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  2. Muere el padre del vicepresidente Varela – 11 de junio de 2011
  3. Fallece madre de Juan Carlos Varela – 26 October 2007
  4. President of Panama visits Galicia 2016
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  6. www.varelahermanos.com
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  8. Randal C. Archibold, "Incumbent’s Party Loses Presidency in Panama", The New York Times, 4 May 2014
  9. Reuters Staff. (5 May 2018). "Panama to hold presidential election in May 2019". Reuters website. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  10. https://www.elconfidencial.com/mundo/2017-02-10/escandalo-odebrecht-panama-juan-carlos-varela_1329461/
  11. https://www.nouvelobs.com/monde/20190505.AFP5855/elections-generales-au-panama-ouverture-des-bureaux-de-vote-apres-une-morne-campagne.html
  12. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External sources

Party political offices
Preceded by President of the Panameñista Party
2006–present
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Relations
2009–2011
Succeeded by
Roberto Henríquez
Vice-President of Panama
2009–2014
Succeeded by
Isabel Saint Malo
Preceded by President of Panama
2014–2019
Succeeded by
Laurentino Cortizo