# Juan Carlos Varela

_50th president of Panama_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/juan-carlos-varela
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [xwaŋ ˈkaɾlos βaˈɾela roˈðɾiɣes]; born 12 December 1963) is a Panamanian businessman and former politician who served as the 37th president of Panama from 2014 to 2019. Varela previously was the vice president of Panama from 2009 to 2014 and Minister of Foreign Relations from 2009 to 2011 under President Ricardo Martinelli. He led the Panameñistas, the third-largest political party in Panama, from 2006 to 2016.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 12 December 1963 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Panama City ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Panama ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096#P27))
- **Occupation:** entrepreneur; politician; minister ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096#P106))
- **Political party:** Panameñista Party ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096#P102))
- **Education:** Georgia Tech; Xavier College, Panama ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096#P69))
- **Spouse:** Lorena Castillo de Varela ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096#P26))
- **Official website:** juancarlosvarela.com ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096#P856))
- **Positions held:** President of Panama (1 July 2014 – 1 July 2019); Vice President of Panama (1 July 2009 – 30 June 2014); Minister of Foreign Affairs (1 July 2009 – 30 August 2011) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096#P39))
- **Awards:** Order of Brilliant Star; honorary doctor of the Renmin University of China; Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096#P166))
- **X (Twitter):** jc_varela ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096#P2002))
- **Facebook:** ValeraJC ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096#P2013))

## About

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. 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.

## Questions

**When was Juan Carlos Varela born?**  
Juan Carlos Varela was born on 12 December 1963 in Panama City.

**What positions has Juan Carlos Varela held?**  
Positions held by Juan Carlos Varela include: President of Panama (2014–2019); Vice President of Panama (2009–2014); Minister of Foreign Affairs (2009–2011).

**Where did Juan Carlos Varela study?**  
Juan Carlos Varela was educated at Georgia Tech, Xavier College, Panama.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Juan Carlos Varela](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Carlos_Varela) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q1134096](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134096) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Juan Carlos Varela (2014).jpg by U.S. Department of State (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Juan_Carlos_Varela_(2014).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Juan Carlos Varela, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Juan Carlos Varela (2014).jpg — U.S. Department of State, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Juan Carlos Varela". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/juan-carlos-varela. Retrieved 6 November 2026.