Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [xwaŋ ˈkaɾlos βaˈɾela roˈðɾiɣes]; born 13 December 1963) is a Panamanian businessman and former politician who served as the 37th President of Panama from 2014to2019. Varela previously was Vice President of Panama from 2009 to 2014 and Minister of Foreign Relations from 2009 to 2011 under President Ricardo Martinelli. He presided over the Panameñistas, the third-largest political party in Panama, from 2006 to 2016.
Juan Carlos Varela
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Varela in 2014
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| 37th President of Panama | |
| In office 1 July 2014 – 1 July 2019 | |
| Vice President | Isabel Saint Malo |
| Preceded by | Ricardo Martinelli |
| Succeeded by | Laurentino Cortizo |
| Vice President of Panama | |
| In office 1 July 2009 – 1 July 2014 | |
| President | Ricardo Martinelli |
| Preceded by | Samuel Lewis Navarro |
| Succeeded by | Isabel Saint Malo |
| Minister of Foreign Relations | |
| In office 1 July 2009 – 30 August 2011 | |
| President | Ricardo Martinelli |
| Preceded by | Samuel Lewis Navarro |
| Succeeded by | Roberto Henriquez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez (1963-12-12) 12 December 1963 (age 60) Panama City, Panama |
| Political party | Panameñista Party |
| Spouse |
(m. 1992) |
| Alma mater | Georgia Institute of Technology (BS) |
| Signature |  |
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Varela won the 2014 presidential election with over 39% of the vote against the Cambio Democrático Party led by his former political partner Martinelli, whose candidate was José Domingo Arias.[1] He was sworn in as president on 1 July 2014.
On 13 July 2023, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Varela was ineligible for entry into the United States due to his involvement in significant corruption: according to the US, he accepted bribes in exchange for improperly awarding government contracts. Varela denied the accusation.
Born in Panama City to Luis José Varela Arjona and Bexie Esther Rodríguez Pedreschi.[2][3] Varela is a businessman and entrepreneur, whose family hails from Herrera Province. His paternal grandfather José Varela Blanco emigrated from Bergondo, Galicia in Spain and settled in the district of Pesé, Herrera in Panama.[4] After graduating from Colegio Javier, he attended the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering in 1985.[5]
| Styles of Juan Carlos Varela | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | His Excellency |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Alternative style | Sir |
In the private sector, Varela has been on the board of his family company since 1986, serving as Executive Vice-President of Varela Hermanos S.A. until 2008.[6]
Varela entered politics in the early 1990s, becoming chief of the Panameñista Party campaign in 1994 and was the Panameñista Party's presidential candidate during the 2009 election; Varela joined forces with his rival, Ricardo Martinelli, as vice-presidential candidate, being sworn in on 1 July 2009 as Vice-President of Panama under President Martinelli.[7] Varela won the 2014 presidential election, winning against the ruling-party candidate José Domingo Arias, who was supported by Cambio Democrático, a party led by outgoing President Ricardo Martinelli. Varela won about 39% of the vote against 32% for Arias.[8] The subject announced he would seek to change the legislative body through constitutional changes.[9]
He is suspected of being involved in the Odebrecht corruption scandal (a Brazilian company that paid bribes to politicians)[10]
Close to the U.S. government on foreign policy issues, in October 2018, following a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on "China's predatory economic activity," he canceled five infrastructure projects with Chinese companies.[11]
His popularity is affected by declining economic activity, rising living costs, corruption scandals and the crisis in the health and justice sectors.[12]
Juan Carlos Varela was indicted in July 2020 for money laundering in the Odebrecht case.[13]
In October 2021, his name was found mentioned in the Pandora Papers.[14]
He is the son of José Varela and Beixie née Rodríguez. Varela married Panamanian journalist Lorena Castillo in 1992.[15]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of the Panameñista Party 2006–present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister of Foreign Relations 2009–2011 |
Succeeded by |
| Vice-President of Panama 2009–2014 |
Succeeded by | |
| Preceded by | President of Panama 2014–2019 |
Succeeded by |