Juan Carlos Varela
Encyclopedia
Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez (born December 12, 1963) is a Panamanian
politician who has been Vice President of Panama
since 2009. Along with President Ricardo Martinelli
, he was elected on May 3, 2009 and sworn in on July 1, 2009. He also serves as the Minister of Foreign Relations. Since 2006 he has been the President of the Panameñista Party
, the second-largest in Panama.
, Juan Carlos Varela is an entrepreneur, with family roots in the province of Herrera. Born in Panama, finished high school in Colegio Javier. He graduated with a bachelor of science in industrial engineering
from the Georgia Institute of Technology
in 1985.
In the political ambit he has experience as chief of campaign (1994), as assistant director and director and was elected presidential candidate in 2008.
He then moves forward and joins forces with his rival in the presidential run, the incumbent President Ricardo Martinelli
, and on May 3, 2009 takes the office as Vice-President of Panama.
He is married to journalist Lorena Castillo and has three children: Gian Carlo, who is also an aspiring dj (17), Adrian (13) and Stefan (8).
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
politician who has been Vice President of Panama
Vice President of Panama
Vice President of Panama is the second highest political position in Panama. Position of only one Vice President will be filled since 2009. Previously, there were positions of First Vice President and Second Vice President, also known as first designate to presidency and second designate...
since 2009. Along with President Ricardo Martinelli
Ricardo Martinelli
Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal is a Panamanian politician and businessman who was elected the 49th President of Panama in 2009. He is a Panamanian of Italian descent from his father's side.- Early life :...
, he was elected on May 3, 2009 and sworn in on July 1, 2009. He also serves as the Minister of Foreign Relations. Since 2006 he has been the President of the Panameñista Party
Panameñista Party
- Founding and early history :The party is the oldest in Panama. It was founded in 1932 by Arnulfo Arias Madrid, a prominent medical , as the National Revolutionary Party. Its membership largely came from Patriotic Communal Action, a nationalist organization that opposed the large amount of...
, the second-largest in Panama.
Early life and education
Born at Panama CityPanama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
, Juan Carlos Varela is an entrepreneur, with family roots in the province of Herrera. Born in Panama, finished high school in Colegio Javier. He graduated with a bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Industrial engineering
Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering dealing with the optimization of complex processes or systems. It is concerned with the development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, equipment, energy, materials, analysis...
from the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
in 1985.
Career
In the private sector, Varela has been on the board of Varela Hermanos, a family company, since 1985 and was executive vice president of the company until 2008.In the political ambit he has experience as chief of campaign (1994), as assistant director and director and was elected presidential candidate in 2008.
He then moves forward and joins forces with his rival in the presidential run, the incumbent President Ricardo Martinelli
Ricardo Martinelli
Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal is a Panamanian politician and businessman who was elected the 49th President of Panama in 2009. He is a Panamanian of Italian descent from his father's side.- Early life :...
, and on May 3, 2009 takes the office as Vice-President of Panama.
He is married to journalist Lorena Castillo and has three children: Gian Carlo, who is also an aspiring dj (17), Adrian (13) and Stefan (8).