Contributors to our Panamenian

Culture and Heritage

Panamanians who have made national and international contributions to our culture and heritage. Click here if you would like to suggest a Notable Panamanian to our list.

  • Politicians and elected officials
  • Artist & entertainers
  • Writers, novelist, poets and essayist.
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Religious personalities
  • Public figures
Professionals
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Authors
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Athletes
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Artists
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Rubén Blades
Rubén Blades
Singer, Songwriter, Actor
Panamanian salsa singer, songwriter, actor, Latin jazz musician and activist.
Justine Pasek
Justine Pasek
Miss Universe 2002
Polish-Panamanian model, beauty queen who was Miss Universe 2002.
Roberto Morgan
Roberto Morgan
Publisher and organizer
Publisher and organizer of the Annual Encuentro Folklorico Panameno held in different cities in the United States.
Mauricio Smith
Mauricio Smith
Flute virtuoso
The flute virtuoso was one of Panama’s most gifted musicians.
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera
Baseball pitcher
Rivera is regarded by baseball experts as one of the most dominant relievers in major league history.
Ephraim S. Alphonse
Ephraim S. Alphonse
Missionary, Minister
Writer, poet, missionary, minister and subsequent bishop of the Methodist Church (MCCA).
Margarita Henríquez
Margarita Henríquez
Latin American Idol
Winner of the third season of Latin American Idol, which she won on October 9, 2008.
Jorge Dunn
Jorge Dunn
Painter
His painting hang in business establishment and homes across the country.
George Headley
George Headley
Outstanding Cricketer
Considered one of the greatest cricketers of all time and the best batsmen to play for the West Indies
Irving Saladino
Irving Saladino
Long jump gold medalist
Won a gold medal in the long jump during 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Laffit Pincay Jr.
Laffit Pincay Jr.
Jockey
Was once flat racing’s winningest all-time jockey, still holding third place many years after his retirement.
Dra. Enitza George
Dra. Enitza George
Family Medicine
Board Certified Family Practice Physician, a long-distance runner and an athletic trainer.
Patricio Scantlebury
Patricio Scantlebury
Professional baseball player
First Panamanian to play professional baseball outside of Panama-Negro League (USA)
Graciela Dixon
Graciela Dixon
Former Chief Justice
Retired President of the Panama Supreme Court
Eusebio Pedroza
Eusebio Pedroza
Boxer
Boxer who held the World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight championship from 1978 to 1985.
Justo Arroyo
Justo Arroyo
Educator, ambassador, and writer
He is the recipient of multiple national and international awards for his books.
Rod Carew
Rod Carew
Baseball player
Former Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman and coach.
Miguel Vasquez
Miguel Vasquez
Horse jockey
Panamanian horse jockey
Lloyd La Beach
Lloyd La Beach
First Olympic medalist
Former sprinter from Panama, who won two bronze medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics.
Melva Lowe Goodin
Melva Lowe Goodin
Author, Professor
Academic, writer and President of S.A.M.A.A.P.
Gerardo Maloney
Gerardo Maloney
Sociologist, writer, educator
Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago 2004 -2009.
Victor Boa
Victor Boa
The High Priest of Jazz
He created a style of music which is known as Tambo Jazz.
Luis Russell
Luis Russell
Jazz pianist
Pioneering Panamanian jazz pianist, orchestra leader, composer and arranger.
Roberto Durán
Roberto Durán
Boxer
Professional boxer, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Princess Angela
Princess Angela
Wife of Prince Maximilian
Wife of the highest ranked black members of a reigning European dynasty.
Juan Williams
Juan Williams
Journalist
Writer, poet, missionary, minister and subsequent bishop of the Methodist Church (MCCA).
Ismael Laguna
Ismael Laguna
Boxer
Known as “El Tigre Colonense”, Laguna was the Featherweight Champion from 1962-63.
Lorraine Dunn
Lorraine Dunn
Olympic sprinter
At the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, she was Panama’s Flag Bearer in the Opening Ceremonies.
Panama Al Brown
Panama Al Brown
Boxer
Bantamweight boxer from Panama who made history by becoming boxing’s first Hispanic world champion.
El General
El General
Reggae artist
El General (born Edgardo Franco) is a Reggae artist considered by some to be one of the Fathers of Reggaeton.
Nuria Fernandez
Nuria Fernandez
GM/CEO for VTA
Nuria White Fernandez is the daughter of the late Vilma Peart de White and Edward White of Panama.
Harley Mitchell
Harley Mitchell
Former Chief Justice
Retired President of the Panama Supreme Court
Marcos G. McGrath
Marcos G. McGrath
Roman Catholic Archbishop
Roman Catholic Archbishop. McGrath served as Archbishop of Panama until his retirement on April 18, 1994.
Humberto Robinson
Humberto Robinson
Major League Baseball relief pitcher
First Panamanian to be drafted and played for Major League Baseball-April 20, 1955(USA)
George Westerman
George Westerman
Ambassador, activist, and historian
Ambassador, community activist, and historian.
Julio Ernesto Murray
Julio Ernesto Murray
Bishop Episcopal Church of Panama
Head of the Episcopal Church of Panama.

BY NAME

A

L

Jesus Almenas guitarist, composer Lloyd LaBeach first Olympic medal holder of Panama
Pedro Altamiranda singer, composer Ismael Laguna boxer
Ephraim S. Alphonse minister Vincent Laresca actor
Nancy Ames singer Bobby Lashley professional wrestler
Tanya Aparicio pianist Oscar Willis Layne cyclist
Julio E. Linares treasury Minister, foreign minister

B

Hector Lopez baseball player
Ernesto Perez Balladares former president Victoriano Lorenzo patriot
Felipe Baloy soccer player Los Rabanes music group
Nicolas Ardito Barletta former president

M

Bayano rebel slave Arnulfo Arias Madrid former president
Panama Al Brown boxer Harmodio Arias Madrid former president
Jose Dominador Bazan politician Carlos Francisco Chang Marin folklorist, painter, musician, journalist, activist, writer
Nadia Noemi Franco Bazan writer Norma Mascoll first female US Director of Engineering and Housing
Reginald Beckford sprinter, first gold medalist of Panama Luis Anderson McNeil former Minister of Labor
William Bedford basketball player Ramiro Mendoza baseball player
Ruben Blades singer, actor, minister of tourism Orlando Miller baseball player
Nando Boom reggae artist Ricardo Miro poet
Miguel Bose actor, singer Mireya Moscoso former president
Jordana Brewster actress Jaime Murrell singer
Floyd Britton political dissident Julio Ernesto Murray bishop
Rosa Maria Britton writer
Panama Al Brown first Hispanic world boxing champion

N-P

C-D

Manuel Chong Neto painter
Rod Carew baseball player Manuel Antonio Noriega dictator
Jorge Cham webcomics producer, author Ben Oglivie baseball player
Kenneth Bancroft Clark psychologist, writer Justine Pasek Miss Universe 2002
Graciela Dixon lawyer Eusebio Pedroza boxer
Billy Cobham drummer Danilo Perez pianist
Irichelle Duran boxer Laffit Pincay Jr. jockey
Roberto Duran boxer Jose Luis Rodriguez Pitti photographer, author
Belisario Porras former president

E-G

El General reggae artist

S

Guillermo Endara former president Irving Saladino Panama’s first Olympic gold medallist
Martin Torrijos Espino former president Manny Sanguillen baseball player
Alfonso Frazier world champion boxer Alfredo Sinclair artist
Carlos Fuentes writer Olga Sinclair artist
Charles Patrick Garcia businessman, author Alfredo Smith, Jr. jockey
Carlos Garnett jazz musician Mauricio Smith musician
Melva Lowe Goodin author Rachel Smith Miss USA 2007
Gloria Guardia author Melissa De Sousa actress
Edward Ashton Gaskin Stuart educator, labor leader

H-K

Omar Torrijos Herrera national guard leader

T-Z

Esteban Huertas independence fighter Marc Anthony Thompson musician, actor
Jorge Illueca diplomat, politician Consuelo Tomas author
Leroy Jackson basketball player Omar Torrijos former dictator
Roberto Kelly baseball player Urraca chieftain
Roberto Vasquez boxer
Juan Williams television correspondent
Ingrid De Ycaza singer
Hilario Zapata boxer
Aaron Zebede actor, producer

BY OCCUPATION

Artist

Politics

Carlos Francisco Chang Marín, folk artist Arnulfo Arias Madrid, former president
Chafil Cheucarama, Wounaan carver, illustrator, and painter Harmodio Arias Madrid, former president
Antonio Jose Guzman, artist Nicolás Ardito Barletta, former president
José Luis Rodríguez Pittí, poet, artist Guillermo Endara, former president
Pablo Runyan, painter Esteban Huertas, independence fighter
Alfredo Sinclair, painter Jorge Illueca, diplomat and politician
Olga Sinclair, painter Julio E. Linares, Foreign Minister (1989–1993)
Alicia Viteri, painter Ricardo Martinelli, former president
Darcilyn S’Masdeu, painter,artistic designer John McCain, American politician, 2008 presidential nominee
Mireya Moscoso, former president

Beauty queens and fashion models

Manuel Antonio Noriega, former dictator
Ester Cordet, former Playboy Playmate of the Month Ernesto Pérez Balladares, former president
Justine Pasek, former Miss Universe Belisario Porras, former president
Rachel Smith, former Miss USA Dudley Thompson, Jamaican Pan-Africanist and politician
Martín Torrijos Espino, former president

Business

Omar Torrijos, former dictator
Ursula M. Burns, CEO of Xerox
Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines

Sports

Roberto Corbin, soccer player

Entertainment

Manuel Corpas, professional baseball player
Erika Ender, musician/composer Ed Cota, basketball player
Sharon Aguilar, musician/composer Kevin Daley, basketball player and Harlem Globetrotter
Pedro Altamiranda, singer/composer Frank Davis, professional football player
Nancy Ames, singer Jorge Dely Valdés, soccer player
Tanya Aparicio, pianist Einar Díaz, professional baseball player
Aloe Blacc, singer Roberto Durán, world boxing champion
Rubén Blades, singer, actor, former Minister of Tourism Rommel Fernández, soccer player
Miguel Bosé, Spanish actor and singer Gary Forbes, professional basketball player
Jordana Brewster, actress Alfonso Frazer, world champion boxer
Rod Carrillo, Latin music producer, label owner Rubén Garcés, former basketball player
Casanova, rapper Stuart Gray, professional basketball player
Billy Cobham, drummer, for Mahavishnu Orchestra Reggie Grenald, professional basketball player
Melissa De Sousa, actress (film The Best Man) Darius Holland, professional football player
La Factoría, Spanish reggae duo George Headley, cricket player
Flex, Spanish reggae artist Leroy Jackson, professional basketball player
Gaitanes, singers, musical producers, composers Guillermo Jones, professional boxer
Carlos Garnett, jazz saxophonist Bayano Kamani, track and field athlete
El General, Spanish reggae artist Roberto Kelly, baseball player
Margarita Henríquez, singer Kevin Kurányi,German soccer player
Lori Heuring, actress Lloyd La Beach, first Olympic medal winner from Panama
Clark Kent, rap music producer Bobby Lashley, martial arts fighter and wrestler
Vincent Laresca, actor Carlos Lee, professional baseball player
Eddy Lover, Spanish reggae artist Héctor López, professional baseball player
Makano, Spanish reggae artist Jorge Luján, boxer
Jaime Murrell, singer José Macías, professional baseball player
Uncle Murda, rapper Ernesto Marcel, professional boxer
Nando Boom, reggae artist Ramiro Mendoza, professional baseball player
Danilo Pérez, jazz pianist, producer, composer Orlando Miller, professional baseball player
José Quintero, Broadway director Omar Moreno, professional baseball player
Los Rabanes, reggae-rock band Ben Oglivie, professional baseball player
J. August Richards, actor Eusebio Pedroza, former world boxing champion
Coco Rodriguez, singer, actress Jaime Penedo, soccer player
Daphne Rubin-Vega, actress and singer Laffit Pincay, Jr., horse jockey
Samy y Sandra Sandoval, singer, musician Luis Antonio Rivera, soccer player
Alexis Texas, American adult film actress Mariano Rivera, professional baseball player
Aaron Zebede, actor, director and producer. Rubén Rivera, professional baseball player
Jorge I. Ledezma Bradley, Musician, Founder of”Musica Viva” Humberto Valentino Robinson, major league baseball player
Davis Romero, professional baseball player

Historical figures

Carlos Ruiz, professional baseball player
Bayano, rebel slave Olmedo Sáenz, professional baseball player
Floyd Britton, political dissident Irving Saladino, former World and Olympic track and field champion
Edward Ashton Gaskin Stuart, educator and labor leader Manny Sanguillén, professional baseball player
Victoriano Lorenzo, patriot Rennie Stennett, professional baseball player
Luis Anderson McNeil, former labor minister Luis Tejada, soccer player
Belisario Porras, former president Ruben Tejada, professional baseball player
Urracá, chieftain Roberto Vásquez, professional boxer
Roberto Wallace, professional football player

Journalism

Oscar Willis Layne, cyclist
Escolastico Calvo, journalist Hilario Zapata, professional boxer
Gwen Ifill, television correspondent and host
Sacha Pretto, Univision news anchor

Literature

Juan Williams, television correspondent Rosa María Britton, writer
Carlos Fuentes, Mexican writer (born in Panama)

Religious Personalities

Gloria Guardia, novelist and essayist
Ephraim S. Alphonse, Writer, poet, missionary and minister Ricardo Miró, poet
Julio Ernesto Murray, Bishop Episcopal Church Rogelio Sinán, poet and writer
José Luis Rodríguez Pittí, writer

Lawyers

Consuelo Tomás, writer
Harley Mitchell, Retired President of the Panama Supreme Court
Graciela Dixon, Retired President of the Panama Supreme Court Reverence: Wikipedia: List of Panamanians
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