Juan Carlos Varela | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Varela in 2014 | |
| 37thPresident 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 2011 | |
| President | Ricardo Martinelli |
| Preceded by | Samuel Lewis Navarro |
| Succeeded by | Roberto Henriquez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez (1961-12-13)13 December 1961 (age 63) Panama City, Panama |
| Political party | Panameñista Party |
| Spouse | |
| Alma mater | Georgia Institute of Technology (BS) |
| Signature |  |
Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation:[xwaŋˈkaɾlosβaˈɾelaroˈðɾiɣes]; born 13 December 1961) is a Panamanian businessman and former politician who served as the 37thpresident of Panama from2014 to2019. Varela previously was thevice president of Panama from 2009 to 2014 andMinister of Foreign Relations from 2009 to 2011 under PresidentRicardo Martinelli. He led thePanameñistas, the third-largest political party in Panama, from 2006 to 2016.
Varela won the 2014 presidential election with over 39% of the vote against theCambio Democrático Party led by his former political partner Martinelli, whose candidate wasJosé Domingo Arias.[1] He was sworn in as president on 1 July 2014.
On 13 July 2023, US Secretary of StateAntony Blinken announced that Varela was ineligible for entry into the United States due to his involvement in significant corruption: according to the US, he accepted bribes in exchange for improperly awarding government contracts. Varela denied the accusation.
Born inPanama City to Luis José Varela Arjona and Bexie Esther Rodríguez Pedreschi.[2][3] Varela is a businessman and entrepreneur, whose family hails fromHerrera Province. His paternal grandfather José Varela Blanco emigrated fromBergondo, Galicia in Spain and settled in the district ofPesé, Herrera inPanama.[4] After graduating from Colegio Javier, he attended theGeorgia Institute of Technology in the United States, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Sciencedegree in Industrial Engineering in 1985.[5]
| Styles of Juan Carlos Varela | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | His Excellency |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Alternative style | Sir |
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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 the2009 election; Varela joined forces with his rival,Ricardo Martinelli, as vice-presidential candidate, being sworn in on 1 July 2009 asVice-President of Panama under President Martinelli.[7] Varela won the2014 presidential election, winning against the ruling-party candidateJosé Domingo Arias, who was supported byCambio 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 theOdebrecht corruption scandal (a Brazilian company that paid bribes to politicians)[10]
Close to the U.S. government on foreign policy issues, in October 2018, following a visit by U.S. Secretary of StateMike Pompeo on "China's predatory economic activity," he canceled five infrastructure projects with Chinese companies.[11]
His popularity is affected by declining economic activity, rising living costs, corruption scandals and the crisis in the health and justice sectors.[12]
Juan Carlos Varela was indicted in July 2020 for money laundering in theOdebrecht case.[13]
In October 2021, his name was mentioned in thePandora Papers.[14]
He is the son of José Varela and Beixienée Rodríguez. Varela married Panamanian journalistLorena Castillo in 1992.[15]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of thePanameñista Party 2006–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister of Foreign Relations 2009–2011 | Succeeded by |
| Vice-President of Panama 2009–2014 | Succeeded by | |
| Preceded by | President of Panama 2014–2019 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
