Martín Torrijos
Encyclopedia
Martín Erasto Torrijos Espino (marˈtin toˈrixos; born July 18, 1963, in Chitré
, Herrera
) is a Panama
nian politician and the former President of the Republic of Panama.
Torrijos was elected President on May 2, 2004. As the candidate of the Democratic Revolutionary Party
(PRD)– running as the Patria Nueva alliance, with the support of the smaller People's Party
(PP)– Torrijos won the presidential election with about 47% of the vote, defeating three rivals. His closest challenger, former President Guillermo Endara
of the Solidarity Party
, conceded defeat after finishing 17 percentage points behind Torrijos.
The result had been widely expected: prior to the vote, Torrijos was well ahead of his three competitors in the opinion polls. He took office on September 1, 2004.
, who was Panama
's social reformer and military strongman from 1968 to 1981. The younger Torrijos studied political science and economics at Texas A&M University
, College Station
, Texas
, United States
. He is a graduate of St. John's Northwestern Military Academy
located in Delafield, Wisconsin
. During the presidency of Ernesto Pérez Balladares
(1994–1999) he served as deputy minister for the interior and justice. His most significant achievement as deputy minister was to sign into law the complete privatization of Panama's water utilities. When the new law proved unpopular the PRD
effected a reversion to the previous system. During his term in office the rate of armed robberies and assault increased. There were several reported cases where SUNTRACS, a workers union, was angered, causing several riots which involved rock flinging.
Torrijos ran as the PRD
's candidate in the 1999 Panamanian presidential election, finishing in second place after Mireya Moscoso
of the Arnulfista Party, whose husband had been deposed by Omar Torrijos
in a 1968 coup d'état
. Mireya Moscoso
's government ended with an approval rate of about 15%, mostly because of corruption scandals and incompetence, on which Torrijos capitalized successfully with a campaign that had three major slogans: less corruption, create more jobs and improve security.
His administration has focused on specific tasks, including fiscal reforms and social security reforms (now completed) and, as announced on April 27, 2006, the Panama Canal expansion project that was approved in a national referendum
on October 22, 2006, in accordance with Constitution.
In November 2006, Torrijos sponsored the Latin American and Caribbean Congress in Solidarity with Puerto Rico’s Independence
in favor of Puerto Rico
's independence and made an energetic call to the United States
to recognise the independence of Puerto Rico.
In late April 2008, he met with Raúl Castro
in Cuba
to talk about signing an energy bill. He expressed interest in doing so.
Chitré
Chitré is the capital of the Panamanian province Herrera. Chitré is located about 7 km inland from the Gulf of Panama on the Azuero Peninsula The name Chitre comes from the native tribe Chitra . In the city, there is a district, also called Chitré, which is subdivided into five corregimientos...
, Herrera
Herrera Province
Herrera is a province in Panama. Named after General Tomás Herrera, the province was founded on January 18, 1915 after a division of the Los Santos province. The capital city of Herrera is Chitré, which is located near the province's coastline...
) is a Panama
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...
nian politician and the former President of the Republic of Panama.
Torrijos was elected President on May 2, 2004. As the candidate of the Democratic Revolutionary Party
Democratic Revolutionary Party
The Democratic Revolutionary Party is a Panamanian political party. It was founded in 1979 by the General Omar Torrijos, and is generally described as a party of the centre-left of the political spectrum.-History and creation:...
(PRD)– running as the Patria Nueva alliance, with the support of the smaller People's Party
People's Party (Panama)
The People's Party was founded in the early 1960s. It was the main opposition party during the dictatorship of Manuel Noriega. The party supported Martín Torrijos in the presidential election of 2004...
(PP)– Torrijos won the presidential election with about 47% of the vote, defeating three rivals. His closest challenger, former President Guillermo Endara
Guillermo Endara
Guillermo David Endara Galimany was the President of Panama from 1989 to 1994. He ran for office in 2004 and 2009 but lost to the former President Martin Torrijos and to the incumbent President Ricardo Martinelli....
of the Solidarity Party
Solidarity Party (Panama)
The Solidarity Party was a political party in Panama that recently merged with the National Liberal Party and formed the new Patriotic Union Party ....
, conceded defeat after finishing 17 percentage points behind Torrijos.
The result had been widely expected: prior to the vote, Torrijos was well ahead of his three competitors in the opinion polls. He took office on September 1, 2004.
Biography
Martín Torrijos is the son of Omar TorrijosOmar Torrijos
Omar Efraín Torrijos Herrera was the Commander of the Panamanian and National Guard and the de facto leader of Panama from 1968 to 1981...
, who was Panama
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...
's social reformer and military strongman from 1968 to 1981. The younger Torrijos studied political science and economics at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He is a graduate of St. John's Northwestern Military Academy
St. John's Northwestern Military Academy
St. John's Northwestern Military Academy was founded in 1884 as St. John's Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin, by Rev. Sidney T. Smythe as a private, all-male college preparatory and leadership development school. In 1995, St. John's Military Academy merged with Northwestern Military and...
located in Delafield, Wisconsin
Delafield, Wisconsin
Delafield is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, along the Bark River, and a suburb of Milwaukee. The population was 6,472 at the 2000 census....
. During the presidency of Ernesto Pérez Balladares
Ernesto Pérez Balladares
Ernesto Pérez Balladares González-Revilla was the President of Panama between 1994 and 1999. Nicknamed "El Toro" , Ernesto Pérez Balladares is married to Dora Boyd Preciado, with 3 daughters.-Studies :...
(1994–1999) he served as deputy minister for the interior and justice. His most significant achievement as deputy minister was to sign into law the complete privatization of Panama's water utilities. When the new law proved unpopular the PRD
Democratic Revolutionary Party
The Democratic Revolutionary Party is a Panamanian political party. It was founded in 1979 by the General Omar Torrijos, and is generally described as a party of the centre-left of the political spectrum.-History and creation:...
effected a reversion to the previous system. During his term in office the rate of armed robberies and assault increased. There were several reported cases where SUNTRACS, a workers union, was angered, causing several riots which involved rock flinging.
Torrijos ran as the PRD
Democratic Revolutionary Party
The Democratic Revolutionary Party is a Panamanian political party. It was founded in 1979 by the General Omar Torrijos, and is generally described as a party of the centre-left of the political spectrum.-History and creation:...
's candidate in the 1999 Panamanian presidential election, finishing in second place after Mireya Moscoso
Mireya Moscoso
Mireya Elisa Moscoso Rodríguez de Arias is a Panamanian political figure. She was the President of Panama from 1999 to 2004, representing the Arnulfista Party...
of the Arnulfista Party, whose husband had been deposed by Omar Torrijos
Omar Torrijos
Omar Efraín Torrijos Herrera was the Commander of the Panamanian and National Guard and the de facto leader of Panama from 1968 to 1981...
in a 1968 coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. Mireya Moscoso
Mireya Moscoso
Mireya Elisa Moscoso Rodríguez de Arias is a Panamanian political figure. She was the President of Panama from 1999 to 2004, representing the Arnulfista Party...
's government ended with an approval rate of about 15%, mostly because of corruption scandals and incompetence, on which Torrijos capitalized successfully with a campaign that had three major slogans: less corruption, create more jobs and improve security.
Actions in office
Panama Canal expansion referendum, 2006
The Panama Canal expansion referendum was held on October 22, 2006, when the citizens of Panama approved the Panama Canal expansion project by a wide margin.-Constitutional background:...
on October 22, 2006, in accordance with Constitution.
In November 2006, Torrijos sponsored the Latin American and Caribbean Congress in Solidarity with Puerto Rico’s Independence
Latin American and Caribbean Congress in Solidarity with Puerto Rico’s Independence
The Latin American and Caribbean Congress in Solidarity with the Independence of Puerto Rico consisted in an international summit held in Panama City, Panama...
in favor of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's independence and made an energetic call to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to recognise the independence of Puerto Rico.
In late April 2008, he met with Raúl Castro
Raúl Castro
Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician and revolutionary who has been President of the Council of State of Cuba and the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba since 2008; he previously exercised presidential powers in an acting capacity from 2006 to 2008...
in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
to talk about signing an energy bill. He expressed interest in doing so.