Panama elects former security minister José Raúl Mulino as next president
Mulino, who won 34.3% of vote, pledges to welcome business and investment without forgetting ‘those who are hungry’
José Raúl Mulino elected as Panama's next president
Panama has elected José Raúl Mulino, a former security minister, as its next president. Mulino emerged victorious from a chaotic campaign, winning 34.3% of the vote. He will now have to address a range of social issues with only a fraction of the seats in parliament.
Mulino stepped in as a candidate in February to replace former president Ricardo Martinelli, who sought refuge in the Nicaraguan embassy after being convicted of money laundering. Mulino himself faced the risk of disqualification by the supreme court due to his assumption of the candidacy without going through party primaries. However, he was allowed to proceed just two days before the election.
In his victory speech, Mulino emphasized his government's commitment to welcoming business and investment while not forgetting the needs of the underprivileged. He stated, "In spite of everything they did to me during the campaign, I won't take a drop of vengeance against anyone," and declared the end of "political persecution" in the country.
Challenges ahead for Mulino's presidency
Mulino assumes the presidency amidst the shadow of former president Ricardo Martinelli, who despite his conviction for money laundering, maintained popularity due to his outsider status and Panama's economic growth during his previous presidency from 2009 to 2014. However, the memory of Martinelli's presidency is juxtaposed against an economic slowdown, with the International Monetary Fund projecting growth of 2.5% in 2024, down from 7.5% in 2023.
Furthermore, Panama has recently experienced two significant protest movements—one related to the rising cost of living and deficient social services, and the other concerning the government's opaque renegotiation of the contract for the Cobre Panamá mine. These episodes have exposed public mistrust of the governing Partido Revolucionario Democrático (PRD) and a political elite plagued by corruption scandals.
The composition of parliament reflects this discontent, with the PRD losing approximately two-thirds of its seats, and independents emerging as the largest single group with 21 out of 71 seats. Mulino's party, along with Martinelli's, will have 13 seats. As a result, Mulino will need to build coalitions to create a majority as he tackles economic challenges, high levels of US-bound migration through the Daríen Gap, and a drought that has affected shipping through the Panama Canal.
To what extent Ricardo Martinelli will influence Mulino's presidency remains uncertain. However, Martinelli celebrated Mulino's victory with a blurry selfie posted on Instagram from the Nicaraguan embassy, captioned as "The face of a happy man."