List of Famous people born in Panama

Jaime Manuel Penedo Cano is a Panamanian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for various teams such as: Osasuna B, CSD Municipal, LA Galaxy, Deportivo Saprissa or Dinamo București, among others, but also for the Panama national team, being the goalkeeper of the first squad of Panama that ever played in a World Cup. Penedo announced his retirement on 24 January 2019.

Benjamin Ambrosio Oglivie Palmer is a Panamanian former professional baseball left fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox (1971–1973), Detroit Tigers (1974–1977), and Milwaukee Brewers (1978–1986). He also played two seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Kintetsu Buffaloes (1987–1988). Oglivie batted and threw left-handed.

Juan Antonio Williams is a Panamanian-American journalist and political analyst for Fox News Channel. He writes for several newspapers, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, and has been published in magazines such as The Atlantic Monthly and Time. Williams has worked as an editorial writer, an op-ed columnist, a White House correspondent, and a national correspondent. He is a registered Democrat.

Ricardo Arias Calderón was a Panamanian politician who served as First Vice President from 1989 to 1992. A Roman Catholic who studied at Yale and the Sorbonne, Arias returned to Panama in the 1960s to work for political reform. He went on to become the president of the Christian Democratic Party of Panama and a leading opponent of the military government of Manuel Noriega. In 1984, he ran as a candidate for Second Vice President on the ticket of three-time former president Arnulfo Arias, but they were defeated by pro-Noriega candidate Nicolás Ardito Barletta.

Reinaldo Antonio Stennett Porte was a Panamanian professional baseball second baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1971–79) and San Francisco Giants (1980–81). He batted and threw right-handed. A World Series champion with the Pirates in 1979, Stennett is one of three players to collect seven hits in a game, which he did in a 22–0 victory over the Chicago Cubs, in 1975. Stennett was also a member of the first all-black starting lineup in big league history.

Julio Mario Santo Domingo Pumarejo was a Colombian-American businessman, diplomat and patriarch of the Santo Domingo family who lived in New York City. He controlled more than 100 companies in the diversified portfolio of the "Santo Domingo Group." He was listed by Forbes magazine as one of the wealthiest men in the world, and the second-wealthiest in Colombia, with a fortune of $8 billion U.S. dollars. He was the founder of a philanthropic foundation, named to honor his father, that benefits Colombia's social development.

Carlos Joaquín Ruiz, nicknamed "Chooch", is a Panamanian former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Seattle Mariners. Ruiz stands 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) tall, and weighs 215 pounds (98 kg). He bats and throws right-handed.

Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez "Tortugón" is a Panamanian businessman and politician serving as the President of Panama from 2014 to 2019. Varela was Vice President of Panama from 2009 to 2014, and Minister of Foreign Relations from July 2009 to August 2011. He was President of the Panameñistas, the third-largest political party in Panama, from 2006 to 2016.

Erika María Ender Simoes, is a Panamanian singer, songwriter and actress. Ender, in addition to having a respectable singing career, is considered one of the most important and prolific composers in the Latin music market today. Along with Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, she is the co-author of the worldwide hit "Despacito".

Alfonso Teofilo Brown, better known as Panama Al Brown, was a Panamanian professional boxer. He made history by becoming boxing's first Latin American world champion, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest bantamweight boxers in history.