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Roberto Chiari | |
|---|---|
 Roberto Chiari in 1962 | |
| President of Panama | |
| In office 20 November 1949[1] – 24 November 1949[1] | |
| Preceded by | Daniel Chanis |
| Succeeded by | Arnulfo Arias |
| In office 1 October 1960[1] – 1 October 1964[1] | |
| Vice President | Sergio González Ruíz José Dominador Bazán |
| Preceded by | Ernesto de la Guardia |
| Succeeded by | Marco Aurelio Robles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón (1905-03-02)2 March 1905 |
| Died | 1 March 1981(1981-03-01) (aged 75) Panama City, Panama |
| Political party | National Liberal Party |
| Profession | Politician |
Roberto Francisco Chiari Remón (March 2, 1905 – March 1, 1981) was thePresident of Panama in 1949 and from 1960 to 1964. He belonged to theLiberal Party.
He was president of the Chamber of Commerce. He worked in the sugar company of his family with his fatherRodolfo Chiari and brothers. He was the only one of his brothers that was interested on politics. He was elected to the National Assembly in 1940. During theRicardo de la Guardia administration he was Minister of Health and Public Works. He was one ofDomingo Díaz Arosemena'svice presidents and briefly served as acting president in 1949. He lost the presidential elections of 1952. He was president of his Liberal Party for the next 8 years.
He was elected in aclean and peaceful election. He was campaigning against former presidentRicardo Arias and Victor Goytia.
Chiari's government worked hard on the education sector. The General Hospital of the Social Security was inaugurated and an extensive vaccination program developed.
His administration is most remembered for the historic events of January 9, 1964, known today asMartyrs' Day. During a dispute between Panamanian and American students regarding the right to raise the Panamanian flag instead of the U.S. flag atBalboa High School, the Panamanian flag was accidentally torn. Thisflag desecration sparked four days of fighting between civilians and the US Army. 22 Panamanians and four Americans died. Following these events, Chiari made the decision to break diplomatic relations with theUnited States, makingPanama the first Latin American country to make this call. This spurred negotiations that ultimately ended in the 1977Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which disbanded theCanal Zone and relinquished U.S. control of thePanama Canal toPanama on December 31, 1999. Because of this, Chiari is known asel presidente de la dignidad (The President of Dignity).[1]
After leaving office, Chiari retired from public life and returned to work in his private companies. He was president of theIndustrial Sindicate from 1967 to 1969.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | First Vice President of Panama 1949 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Panama November 20, 1949 – November 24, 1949 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of Panama 1960–1964 | Succeeded by |
