Large Jewish Community in Panama

According to the 2023 International Religious Freedom Report in Panama, Jewish leaders estimate their community is comprised of approximately 15,000 members, the majority of whom reside in the capital. Thus, Panama is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Central America and during the 20th century had two presidents of Jewish descent. Eric Arturo Delvalle Cohen-Henríquez was president of Panama from 1985 to 1988, while Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno was the de facto ruler. Max Delvalle Maduro served as vice president from 1964 to 1968, with an additional one-week term as interim president in April 1967. Mayer Mizrachi Matalón, the current mayor of Panama City, is Jewish. Why Panama is the only Latin American country that does not admit a Palestinian state Panama's de facto ruler was Noriega Moreno. Mayer Mizrachi Matalón, the current mayor of Panama City, is Jewish. In July 2023, the Panamanian government made the official decision to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Definition of Antisemitism, reflecting its support for Israel.