{"id":26415,"date":"2019-07-02T14:52:41","date_gmt":"2019-07-02T19:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panamaadvisoryinternationalgroup.com\/blog\/?p=26415"},"modified":"2019-07-02T14:52:41","modified_gmt":"2019-07-02T19:52:41","slug":"cattleman-laurentino-cortizo-sworn-panamas-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/panamaadvisoryinternationalgroup.com\/blog\/cattleman-laurentino-cortizo-sworn-panamas-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Cattleman Laurentino Cortizo sworn in as Panama\u2019s president"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Associated Press reported the big event on Monday.\u00a0 Panama\u2019s new President Laurentino Cortizo raises his fist after speaking during his inauguration in Panama City, Monday, July 1, 2019. Panama has sworn in for a five-year term the cattleman who inherits a slowing economy and growing frustration among Panamanians about official corruption.<\/p>\n

Cattleman Laurentino Cortizo was sworn in as Panama\u2019s president Monday, saying he will work during his five-year term to boost the economy and bring transparency in contracting for public works projects.<\/p>\n

The 66-year-old won an election two weeks ago that was the tightest in Panama\u2019s recent history, triumphing with only 31 percent of the vote as the candidate of the Democratic Revolutionary Party.<\/p>\n

Cortizo, who succeeds Juan Carlos Varela, said he would stoke the economy by pushing for public-private partnerships for infrastructure projects and also address corruption in government contracting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have monumental challenges,\u201d Cortizo said. \u201cWe\u2019re coming off a decade lost to corruption. There\u2019s no place for indifference in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noting that some 700,000 of Panama\u2019s 4 million citizens live in poverty, Cortizo said, \u201cWhat a tremendous responsibility we have to those who have been left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n