The Foreign Service Journal, January 2006

Nevertheless, they are per- mitted to have private opin- ions, and I am convinced that were they able to vote for the next president of Panama most U.S. officials who know Panama and its modern history well, like most Panamanians, would instinctively vote for the PRD candidate, Martin Torrijos. For like the Pana- manian electorate, Washing- ton officials know that the PRD, previously denounced as the party of dictators, is now the most inclusive and demo- cratic political party in Panama, thanks to the leadership of Martin Torrijos.” What was the effect of a former U.S. consul general writing such an opinion piece? My newspaper article cer- tainly did not win the election for the PRD, which was probably already ahead. But more than a few conserva- tive movers and shakers in Panamanian society took another look at Martin, and not a few remarked that my comments put the lie to the commonly-held opinion many had shared that the government candidate was also the U.S. candidate. (The U.S. embassy correctly pointed out that I did not speak for the U.S. government — and then said no more.) Martin Torrijos did win the presidency, and took office in September 2004. He asked me to join his administra- tion as a contract adviser in the Panamanian Foreign Ministry, headed by First Vice President and Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis Navarro. (Since I was not a Senior Foreign Service officer, I did not have to wait a F O C U S J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 41 On the 2004 campaign trail, l - r, Samuel Lewis Navarro, Robert Raymer, Martin Torrijos, Ruben Arosemena.