Laurentino Cortizo was a member of the National Assembly between 1994 and 2004, serving a year as chamber president.
10 Facts About Laurentino Cortizo
2.
Laurentino Cortizo Cohen was born in Panama City to Laurentino Cortizo, a Galician from Beariz, Spain, and Esther Cohen, of Jewish descent.
3.
The eldest of six siblings, Laurentino Cortizo attended Javier Elementary School and completed his secondary education at La Salle College in Diriamba, Nicaragua.
4.
Laurentino Cortizo then went on to attend the Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania.
5.
Laurentino Cortizo then attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning a master's degree in business administration and later a doctorate.
6.
In November 1986, Laurentino Cortizo assumed the role of Panama's alternate ambassador to the OAS.
7.
Laurentino Cortizo served as a member of the National Assembly from 1994 to 2004 and is described as being from the centrist wing of his party.
8.
Laurentino Cortizo became President of the National Assembly in 2000, serving until 2001.
9.
Laurentino Cortizo served as Minister of Agricultural and Livestock Development under President Martin Torrijos, however he resigned in 2006 due to his objections to the negotiations made in pursuit of the US-Panama Free Trade Agreement.
10.
Laurentino Cortizo is a devout Roman Catholic and often reads the Bible.