Editing Panama (section)

===Post-intervention era===
Panama's Electoral Tribunal moved quickly to restore civilian constitutional government, reinstated the results of the May 1989 election on December 27, 1989, and confirmed the victory of President [[Guillermo Endara]] and Vice Presidents [[Guillermo Ford]] and [[Ricardo Arias Calderón]].

During its five-year term, the often-fractious government struggled to meet the public's high expectations. Its new police force was a major improvement over its predecessor but was not fully able to deter crime. [[Ernesto Pérez Balladares]] was sworn in as president on September 1, 1994, after an internationally monitored election campaign.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Panama (02/07) |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/panama/80437.htm |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=U.S. Department of State |archive-date=November 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115023048/https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/panama/80437.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

On September 1, 1999, [[Mireya Moscoso]], the widow of former president [[Arnulfo Arias Madrid]], took office after defeating PRD candidate [[Martín Torrijos]], son of [[Omar Torrijos]], in a free and fair election.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/panama/moscoso.htm|title=Moscoso wins victory in Panama's presidential vote|website=LatinAmericanStudies.org|access-date=March 26, 2021|archive-date=October 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004215757/http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/panama/moscoso.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/panama/95380.htm|title=Panama (11/07)|publisher=US Department of State|access-date=April 2, 2017|archive-date=April 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403111632/https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/panama/95380.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> During her administration, Moscoso attempted to strengthen social programs, especially for child and youth development, protection, and general welfare. Moscoso's administration successfully handled the Panama Canal transfer and was effective in the administration of the Canal.<ref name=":0" />

[[File:Boris Johnson with Juan Carlos Varela in London - 2018 (27232646267).jpg|thumb|British Foreign Secretary [[Boris Johnson]] swapped football shirts with the President of Panama, [[Juan Carlos Varela]] in London, May 14, 2018.]]

The PRD's Martin Torrijos won the presidency and a legislative majority in the National Assembly in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2004/5/3/martin-torrijos-wins-panama-election|title=Martin Torrijos wins Panama election|website=AlJazeera.com|access-date=March 26, 2021|archive-date=April 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415203743/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2004/5/3/martin-torrijos-wins-panama-election|url-status=live}}</ref> Torrijos ran his campaign on a platform of, among other pledges, a "zero tolerance" for corruption, a problem endemic to the Moscoso and Perez Balladares administrations.<ref name=":2" /> After taking office, Torrijos passed a number of laws which made the government more transparent. He formed a National Anti-Corruption Council whose members represented the highest levels of government and civil society, labor organizations, and religious leadership. In addition, many of his closest Cabinet ministers were non-political [[Technocracy|technocrats]] known for their support for the Torrijos government's anti-corruption aims. Despite the Torrijos administration's public stance on corruption, many high-profile cases,<ref name=":2" /> particularly involving political or business elites, were never acted upon.

Conservative supermarket magnate [[Ricardo Martinelli]] was elected to succeed Martin Torrijos with a landslide victory in the May [[2009 Panamanian general election]]. Martinelli's business credentials drew voters worried by slowing growth during the [[Great Recession]].<ref>{{cite news  |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1229332.stm  |title=Panama Country Profile  |work=[[BBC News]]  |date=June 30, 2010  |access-date=July 25, 2010  |archive-date=July 2, 2014  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702022612/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1229332.stm  |url-status=live  }}</ref> Standing for the four-party opposition Alliance for Change, Martinelli gained 60 percent of the vote, against 37 percent for the candidate of the governing left-wing [[Democratic Revolutionary Party]] (PRD).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://dialogo-americas.com/articles/martinelli-wins-panama-presidential-vote/ |title=Martinelli Wins Panama Presidential Vote |publisher=Diálogo Americas |date=May 4, 2009 |access-date=March 26, 2021 |archive-date=April 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415203750/https://dialogo-americas.com/articles/martinelli-wins-panama-presidential-vote/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On May 4, 2014, Vice President [[Juan Carlos Varela]], candidate of the [[Panameñista Party|Partido Panamenista]] (Panamanian Party) won the 2014 [[2014 Panamanian general election|presidential election]] with over 39 percent of the votes, against the party of his former political partner Ricardo Martinelli, Cambio Democrático, and their candidate [[José Domingo Arias]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/former-deputy-varela-wins-panama-presidential-election/a-17612154|title=Former deputy Varela wins Panama presidential election &#124; DW &#124; 05.05.2014|website=DW.COM|access-date=March 26, 2021|archive-date=April 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415213658/https://www.dw.com/en/former-deputy-varela-wins-panama-presidential-election/a-17612154|url-status=live}}</ref> He was sworn in on July 1, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.caribjournal.com/2014/07/02/juan-carlos-varela-sworn-in-as-new-president-of-panama/|title=Juan Carlos Varela Sworn in As New President of Panama|date=July 2, 2014|website=Caribbean Journal|access-date=March 26, 2021|archive-date=April 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415225743/https://www.caribjournal.com/2014/07/02/juan-carlos-varela-sworn-in-as-new-president-of-panama/|url-status=live}}</ref> On July 1, 2019 [[Laurentino Cortizo]] took possession of the presidency.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.presidencia.gob.pa/Noticias/Presidente-Laurentino-Cortizo-Cohen-posesiona-a-miembros-de-su-Gabinete|title=Presidente Laurentino Cortizo Cohen posesiona a miembros de su Gabinete (Official site)|access-date=July 3, 2019|archive-date=July 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703155652/https://www.presidencia.gob.pa/Noticias/Presidente-Laurentino-Cortizo-Cohen-posesiona-a-miembros-de-su-Gabinete|url-status=live}}</ref> Cortizo was the candidate of [[Democratic Revolutionary Party|Democratic Revolution Party]] (PRD) in the May 2019 [[2019 Panamanian general election|presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-panama-politics-idUSKCN1TW3ZN |title=Panama's new president takes office, pledges end to corruption |first=Elida |last=Moreno |newspaper=Reuters |date=July 1, 2019 |via=Reuters.com |access-date=March 26, 2021 |archive-date=April 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415220835/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-panama-politics-idUSKCN1TW3ZN |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the presidency of Cortizo, numerous events happened in the country, including the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Panama|COVID-19 pandemic]] and its [[Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic|economic impact]], and the [[2022 Panamanian protests|2022]] and [[2023 Panamanian protests|2023 protests]].<ref>{{Cite web |author=Al Jazeera Staff |title=What is behind the largest protests in Panama in years? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/20/what-is-behind-largest-protests-in-panama-in-years-explainer |access-date=2023-12-10 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en |archive-date=December 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231210183443/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/20/what-is-behind-largest-protests-in-panama-in-years-explainer |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Salcedo |first=Andrea |date=2023-11-09 |title=Why ordinarily quiet Panama has erupted in deadly protests |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/07/panama-city-protests-copper-mine-deaths/ |access-date=2023-12-10 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=November 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107231108/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/07/panama-city-protests-copper-mine-deaths/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On July 1, 2024, [[José Raúl Mulino]] was sworn in as Panama's new president.<ref>{{cite news |title=José Raúl Mulino is sworn in as Panama's new president |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-panama-panama-city-alejandro-mayorkas-colombia-b2572152.html |work=The Independent |date=1 July 2024 |language=en |archive-date=July 2, 2024 |access-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240702015619/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ap-panama-panama-city-alejandro-mayorkas-colombia-b2572152.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Mulino, a close ally of former president Ricardo Martinelli, won the presidential [[2024 Panamanian general election|election]] in May 2024.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stand-in Jose Raul Mulino wins Panama presidential race |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/6/mulino-wins-panama-presidential-race |work=Al Jazeera |language=en |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |access-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506121656/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/6/mulino-wins-panama-presidential-race |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2024, due to a rapid rise of Chinese immigration to Panama supplanting the local population and now forming 4% of the people,<ref name="Mon">{{citation|title=The Chinese of Panama also have a story to tell...|last=Mon|first=Ramon|date=Spring 2013|url=https://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/the-chinese-of-panama-also-have-a-story-to-tell/|journal=ReVista Harvard Review of Latin America|access-date=March 5, 2025|archive-date=March 5, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250305052102/https://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/the-chinese-of-panama-also-have-a-story-to-tell/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Jackson">{{citation|title=Panama's Chinese community celebrates a birthday, meets new challenges|last=Jackson|first=Eric|volume=10|issue=9|date=May 2004|access-date=2007-11-07|url=http://www.thepanamanews.com/pn/v_10/issue_09/community_01.html|journal=The Panama News|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070916050839/http://www.thepanamanews.com/pn/v_10/issue_09/community_01.html|archive-date=2007-09-16}}</ref> of which, they are accused by the [[United States]] of spying for the [[Chinese Communist Party]], in the strategic isthmus of Panama which is crucial for the trade in the Americas, thus, American President [[Donald Trump]] has threatened to sanction Panama unless the threat of China is neutralized.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-03 |title=Rubio demands Panama 'reduce China influence' over canal |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c39149p920no |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB |archive-date=February 17, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250217183128/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c39149p920no |url-status=live }}</ref>