Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino

Who is Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino?

Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino was President of Panama from October 11, 1984, to September 28, 1985. He belonged to the Democratic Revolutionary Party.

From 1968 until 1970 and 1973 until 1978, as a University of Chicago–trained economist, Barletta was one of General Omar Torrijos's trusted advisers as minister of planning and economic policy. He resigned that position to become World Bank vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean. In late 1983, he was approached by President Ricardo de la Espriella about running for president as de la Espriella's successor.

In February 1984, then-president de la Espriella unexpectedly resigned the office and was succeeded by his vice president, Jorge Illueca, who did not enter the race for a full term. Ardito Barletta ran as the coalition candidate backed by the National Guard, and his candidacy had the support of the government. Opposing Ardito Barletta and the Unión Nacional Democrática coalition was the Democratic Opposition Alliance and its candidate, the 82 year-old veteran politician Arnulfo Arias, who had previously been president three times, each time being ousted from office by a military coup.