Belisario Porras

Belisario Porras Barahoma, born on November twenty-seventh, eighteen fifty-six, in Las Tablas, Panama, emerged as a prominent lawyer, politician, diplomat, and journalist. Raised by his grandmother, he received his early education in Bogotá, Colombia, where his father financed his studies. Porras pursued law at the National University in eighteen seventy-four and later won a scholarship to study in Belgium, returning to Panama with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

His career as a journalist began with his alignment to the Colombian Liberal Party, which soon led to persecution by the Conservative government in Bogotá. This political strife forced him into exile in Nicaragua and El Salvador, where he worked as a professor and reporter. During the Thousand Days War in Colombia, Porras was called back to lead an invasion of Panama in nineteen hundred, organizing a volunteer army and engaging in the Battle of Calidonia Bridge, though he faced defeat.

After Panama gained independence in nineteen oh-four, Porras returned to his homeland, only to have his citizenship revoked by the Panama Supreme Court in nineteen oh-five. Fortunately, the legislature restored his citizenship, allowing him to embark on a diplomatic career that culminated in his presidency in nineteen twelve. His first term saw the completion of the Panama Canal, a monumental achievement for the nation.

Porras served three terms as President of Panama, with his political influence extending into the late nineteen twenties. He was elected as the first presidential designate by the National Assembly in September nineteen eighteen. His legacy is marked by his contributions to Panama's political landscape and his commitment to the Liberal cause.

In his personal life, Porras was married twice. His first marriage in eighteen eighty-one to Eva Paniza Arosemena produced five children: Belisario Roberto, Demetrio, Camilo, María Teresa, and Leticia Antonia. In nineteen oh-six, he married Alicia Castro, with whom he had four children: Rodrigo, Hernán, Alicia, and Álvaro. Additionally, he fathered several children outside of both marriages, including Demetrio Augusto, Silvia, Julieta, and Emilia. Porras passed away in Panama City, leaving behind a complex legacy intertwined with the history of Panama.