The lack of strong leadership in traditional parties, the predictable wear of the government, and the void left by disqualified figures are generating an early rearrangement in the electoral landscape. New strategies, old figures on the opposition side. Martín Torrijos and Ricardo Lombana have already begun to move pieces, each from their own trench. Their challenge will be to consolidate a structure with territorial capacity and retain the political capital achieved in 2024. Although there is still time until 2029, the first moves are already underway.
Although lacking a formal party structure, his direct style and mass communication ability position him as a potential outsider for the next five-year term. The Panameñista Party, the PRD, and Cambio Democrático are shaping up as political structures that could seek alliances in 2029, more out of necessity than ideological affinity. Panamanian politics is preparing for a new cycle marked by the institutional weakness of traditional parties, the consolidation of alternative figures, and the possibility that the erosion of power opens space for new alliances and emerging leaderships.
In this chess game, all players are active, although some are already thinking about checkmate. "Their main figure, former deputy Juan Diego Vásquez, will not be able to run for the Presidency in 2029 due to not meeting the constitutional age requirement (35 years) for that year. Given this limitation, all eyes are on Gabriel Silva, also a former deputy and recognizable face of the movement, who would meet the requirements and could assume the presidential banner of VAMOS."
Torrijos, who returned to the fray in 2024 as a candidate for the Popular Party, has not hidden his intention to remain on the political radar. The reconfiguration of the opposition spectrum seems inevitable if they want to compete seriously. On the PRD side, there are no consolidated leaderships with presidential profiles, and they are focused on an imminent renewal, which could further divide Omar Torrijos's party.
On the government side, the situation is equally complex. Historically loyal to the former president and with extensive media experience, he is recognized as a strategist emerging from popular neighborhoods, with an irreverent voice and strong social content. The citizen platform Coalition VAMOS, which grouped independents and progressive sectors in 2024, is also evaluating its role in the upcoming electoral cycle.
The weakness of its internal leadership after the 2024 results has left a void that neither figures like José Isabel Blandón nor Rómulo Roux have fully managed to fill. Lombana, for his part, continues to bet on consolidating the MOCA party and his anti-corruption project, with a fixed gaze on the next election. In parallel, the name of the Mayor of the capital district, Mayer Mizrachi, begins to gain strength, an atypical and disruptive figure with a high level of digital exposure.
This Monday, May 5, marks a year since the general elections of 2024 were held, and the Panamanian political landscape is already starting to take shape with a view to 2029. With the exception of President José Raúl Mulino, who maintains a high recognition level (96%) and a positive image of 68%, the rest of the cabinet lacks strong electoral projection. Several of the current ministers have a weak profile, as assessed recently by the polling firm Doxa Panamá.
After being disqualified at the moment, many wonder who will be the political heir of Ricardo Martinelli within Realizando Metas (RM) if the latter does not secure an amnesty or a favorable ruling in the Supreme Court regarding the New Business case. The figure of Luis Eduardo Camacho stands out as one of the clearest cards should Martinelli be definitively out of the political game.
