Jose Raul Mulino, a stand-in for a former president banned from running, has won the country’s presidential elections.
Authorities unofficially called the race late on May 5 after three of Mulino’s closest competitors conceded defeat. The former security minister, who was a late entrant to the race after his mentor President Ricardo Martinelli was removed from power after being convicted of corruption, secured more than a third of the votes cast in the country of 4.4 million people.
At stake for the new leader is the Central American country’s woes with government corruption, a severe drought that has affected maritime traffic in the economically important Panama Canal, as well as US-bound migrants passing through Panama’s jungles in droves.
Mulino has promised a return to strong economic growth. Many believe ex-president Martinelli will lead the country from behind the scenes.
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