Famous Panamanian Men

Retired Panamanian boxer Roberto Durán had a 32-match winning streak before losing to Esteban De Jesús. Raised in the slums, he joined a gym as an 8-year-old. His punching style earned him the nickname Hands of Stone. He was a world champion in the lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight, and middleweight categories.

Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian-American former baseball player who played for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). A five-time World Series champion and thirteen-time All-Star, Rivera was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. He is also considered one of the most dominant relievers in the history of the major league.

With 10 Grammy Awards, Panamanian musician, singer, and composer Rubén Blades didn’t just soar to international fame but also redefined the Latin jazz and salsa genres. A qualified lawyer from Harvard, he came to be known as the Latin Bruce Springsteen for his music that mirrored social issues.

Retired Panamanian-American basketball player Rolando Blackman first soared to fame with Kansas State and then had an illustrious career with NBA teams such as the Dallas Mavericks and the New York Knicks. A 4-time NBA All-Star, he is also associated with charitable initiatives and is a Kappa Alpha Psi member.

Panamanian businessman and former politician Juan Carlos Varela held-office as Minister of Foreign Relations and Vice President of Panama before serving as 37th President of Panama (2014-19). He also served as President of Panameñista Party. He was charged for money-laundering in the Odebrecht case, and is one of the former heads of state whose name is mentioned in Pandora Papers.

Panamanian professional football centre-back Román Torres commenced his senior-career with Chepo and thereafter played for several other clubs before joining his current club Cartaginés in January 2021. He became a national hero after netting the game-winning goal during final qualifying-match for 2018 FIFA World Cup that helped Panama qualify for their first-ever World Cup. Torres captained them in the tournament.

Panamanian novelist and lawyer Ramón Fonseca Mora served as minister-counselor of Juan Carlos Varela, and as president of Panameñista Party till he was fired in 2016, because of Operation Car Wash. The Panama Papers resulted from hack of computer-systems of the Mossack Fonseca law firm that he co-founded with Jürgen Mossack. Both of them were arrested, jailed and later released.     

Retired Panamanian footballer Jaime Penedo was a reliable goalkeeper for teams such as Plaza Amador, LA Galaxy, and Dinamo București. He was also the goalkeeper of the fist Panamanian squad that played in a World Cup. He has won the Cupa Ligii with Dinamo București and the Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy.

Marc Anthony Thompson is a Panamanian singer-songwriter currently based in New York City. He is the founder of the music project Chocolate Genius that also includes guitarist Marc Ribot, cellist Jane Scarpantoni, keyboardist John Medeski, and bassist Chris Wood. Besides his association with the group, he also performs as a solo artist and has scored film and theater productions.  

Guillermo Endara was the president of Panama from 1989 to 1994. A lawyer by qualification, he has served as a member of Panama's National Assembly in the past. As the president, he abolished the Panamanian military, replacing it with a national police force. While his tenure saw steady economic growth, it was also marred by internal fighting. 

Baseball infielder Rubén Tejada, a free agent, played for Panama during 2009 World Baseball Classic. He made his MLB debut for New York Mets (2010) and moving-on played for St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, and Baltimore Orioles. He signed MiLB contract with Mets (2019) and thereafter with Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and finally with Chicago White Sox (2021).

Former Panamanian footballer Felipe Baloy played as a defender and has a successful career with clubs such as Santos Laguna. He has also played for the Mexican club Monterrey and is a naturalized Mexican citizen. In 2018, he scripted history by scoring Panama’s first FIFA World Cup goal.

Retired Panamanian footballer Blas Pérez had a successful stint as a forward for teams such as Deportivo Cali and Cúcuta Deportivo, winning the Categoría Primera A title with both. He was also named to the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup All-Star Team. He has also played for clubs from Colombia, Guatemala, Spain, and Canada.

Ricardo Martinelli is a Panamanian businessman and politician.From 2009 to 2014, he served as the president of Panama and his presidency witnessed steady economic growth in the country. Martinelli came up with several measures to decrease poverty. He increased the minimum wage and introduced measures to tackle unemployment.

Retired Panamanian-American basketball player Ed Cota has a Centrobasket gold medal in his kitty. Though he went undrafted by the NBA due to his lack of height, he began his senior career with the American club Gary Steelheads. He later played for clubs such as BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg and Barcelona.

Panamanian boxer Panama Al Brown is remembered as one of the most successful boxers in bantamweight history and was the first Latin American boxing world champion. A queer icon, he was openly gay and had a long-term relationship with French poet Jean Cocteau. He also experimented with tap dancing and cabaret.

Retired Panamanian footballer Julio Dely Valdés was a successful striker for teams such as Nacional, Paris Saint-Germain, and Malaga. He also made it to the 2021 IFFHS CONCACAF Men's Team of All Time. He is the twin brother of Jorge Dely Valdés and the younger brother of Armando Dely Valdés, both footballers

Retired Panamanian baseball player Carlos Ruiz, also known to his fans as Chooch, had an illustrious decade-long career with the Philadelphia Phillies. He later represented the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Seattle Mariners. He remains the only NL player to catch 4 no-hitters and also won a World Series championship with the Phillies.

Panamanian footballer Fidel Escobar plays as a defender for the Spanish club Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa. After starting his senior career with San Francisco, he later also represented clubs such as New York Red Bulls. He was part of the Panama Under-20 team that became the runner-up at the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.

Panamanian politician and military officer, Manuel Noriega, was the de facto ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989. As an army man, he overthrew President Arnulfo Arias in a coup in 1968 and became the de facto ruler of Panama a few years later. He was a controversial leader and his rule has been described as a dictatorship.

Panamanian footballer Gabriel Torres plays as a forward for the Chilean club Deportes Antofagasta and the Panama national team. He has also had successful stints with clubs such as Chepo, La Equidad, Zamora, and Independiente Del Valle. He scored 20 goals in the 2012-13 Venezuelan Primera División.

Former Panamanian president Martín Torrijos was born out of an illegitimate relationship of military ruler Omar Torrijos and was disowned by his father till his teenage years. While studying in the U.S., he had also worked at McDonald's. His reforms include major changes in his country’s pensions and social security.

Panamanian footballer Luis Tejada now plays as a striker for the Peruvian club Molinos El Pirata. He won the 2011 Peruvian First Division with Juan Aurich. He has also played for clubs from Colombia, Mexico, and the US. He was also the CONCACAF Gold Cup Top Goalscorer in 2005.

Three-time president of Panama, Arnulfo Arias was a member of the nationalist Panameñista Party and also a doctor. The younger brother of another Panamanian president, Harmodio Arias, Arnulfo became dictatorial during his 2nd presidential term, dissolved the National Assembly, and changed the constitution. He was deposed thrice.