Laurentino Cortizo Cohen is President of the Republic of Panama.

He was born in Panama on January 30, 1953. He studied secondary school at Colegio La Salle in Nicaragua.. He holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Norwich in the United States. He has a PhD in International Trade and Marketing, from the University of Texas.

Recently graduated, he held several positions in the Organization of American States. He returned to Panama to manage the family businesses and was elected Deputy of the Republic in two consecutive periods: 1994-1999 and 1999-2004, where he was president of the Legislative Assembly. Between 2004 and 2006, he held the position of Minister of Agricultural Development.

Since 1986, he has worked as a manager of the Cortizo Group companies: Panablock, a company producing construction materials and Hacienda Hermacor, a high genetic livestock company. He is a base member of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, who nominated him for the presidential candidacy, after winning the party's primary elections in September 2018. He receives the support of the Molirena party and on May 5, 2019 he is elected as President of the Republic from Panama, for the period 2019-2024.