Place and Date of Birth: 18 July 1963, Chitré, Provincia de Herrera, Panama.
Education: Martín Torrijos received his B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, and is a graduate from St. John’s Military Academy.
Professional career and political career:
Martín Torrijos assumed a significant role amongst the youth within the Partido Revolucionario Democrático (PRD) and served as Deputy Minister of Interior and Justice from 1994 to 1999 during the Ernesto Pérez Balladares Presidency. During his time as Deputy Minister he handled matters involving national security, public transport, communications, as well as a modernization of the national penitential system.
He wins the nomination as presidential candidate in 1999 for the PRD party and although he lost the presidential election that year he was nominated Secretary-General. He is nominated again in 2004 for the presidential elections which he wins and is inaugurated in September of 2004.
Martín Torrijos’ presidency is characterized by his international agency in combination with local development and a focus on combating unemployment, extreme poverty, and fighting corruption and organized crime.
Other:
Martín Torrijos was also Vice President of the Conferencia de Partidos Políticos de América Latina y el Caribe (COPPPAL).
He has visited Cuba on several occasions as President, his last trip being in 2008.
