Dana Castañeda Biography
Both are lawyers who graduated from the University of Panama and have master’s degrees from the University of Salamanca, Spain.
The outlook for the election of the new board of directors of the National Assembly, scheduled for July 1, is beginning to become clearer.
The two groups with the most deputies have already defined the figures they will support for the presidency of the Legislature: Vamos chose Walkiria Chandler and Realando Metas (RM) chose Dana Castañeda.
Now, they are entering the negotiation process to obtain control of the Legislature; on the conversation table are the two vice-presidencies, as well as the secretary and undersecretary of the first organ of the State.
What else is on the negotiating table?
Both Castañeda and Chandler know that the groups that will define who will lead the Assembly are Democratic Change (CD) and the Panameñistas.
These two groups, which have announced that they would vote as a bloc on July 1, add up to 16 votes, since each has 8 deputies.
Both have already met with these groups and have put key positions on the table to obtain their support.
Castañeda was the first to establish an approach.
He has offered the vice presidencies, the undersecretary, and the possibility of internal appointments in the Legislature.
Castañeda does not want to give up the secretariat, even though the Democratic Revolutionary Party, which would be providing support, had requested it for the current deputy Cenobia Vargas, who failed to win re-election on May 5 and is a faithful supporter of the current of Benicio Robinson.
And in this position, Castañeda wants someone closer to her, so the re-election of Quibián Panay would be possible.
Panay, the current secretary of the Legislature, is the husband of deputy Yanibel Ábrego, a friend of Castañeda.
Unlike Castañeda, Vamos did offer the secretariat, the undersecretary, and the vice presidencies and to be part of the board of directors of several permanent commissions. Chandler herself has announced it.
“They are giving more than RM,” said a Panamanian source.
For now, neither the Panameñistas nor those from CD have decided who to support, but they are also weaving their strategy to take advantage of the offers.
Within Panamanianism, several names are being considered for undersecretaries.
Among them, Luis Cigarruista, José Isabel Blandón’s campaign manager, Carlos González, former director of Anati, and Luis Eduardo Quirós, former deputy.
Former deputy Alcibiades Vásquez is being talked about as secretary.
At CD, the themes of helping their communities and staff appointments are what resonate with caucus members.
Dana Castañeda The profile
But who are these two deputies for whom 68 deputies will have to decide next Monday?
Both already know the art of politics.
They have toured their circuits in search of support and have presented their proposals. Both are lawyers who graduated from the University of Panama and have master’s degrees from the University of Salamanca, Spain.
They have also shared functions in the National Assembly, although one has been active in political parties and the other is independent.
Castañeda, 56 years old, is from the province of Coclé, specifically from circuits 2-3.
She has been part of the Patriotic Union and Democratic Change parties and served as main deputy in the period 2009-2014.
In addition, she is the current undersecretary of the National Assembly.
During his mandate, Castañeda supported several proposals, one of the most controversial being the one that sought to reform Article 10 of Law 80 of 2009, which regulates the titling of land in coastal and island areas.
This initiative sought to allow titling and recognition of possessory rights in protected areas and repeal Executive Decree 90 of 1940, which declared the lands of the La Macana ecological reserve in the province of Herrera unattributable.
The motion did not prosper amid complaints from environmentalists and citizens.
For this new period, Castañeda proposed in his campaign the presentation of laws in favor of health, education, and infrastructure, as well as the promotion of tourism.
For example, in this last sector, he proposed creating a cultural and religious promotion law that binds the Tourism Authority of Panama.
He will also insist on the National Land Authority on the issue of mass titling in the areas of his circuit to provide “family stability” to his countrymen.
Walkiria Chandler
Chandler, who will turn 38 next September, is from circuit 8-3, which includes the areas of Ancón, Bella Vista, Betania, Calidonia, Curundú, El Chorrillo, Pueblo Nuevo and San Felipe.
He came to the National Assembly for the first time in 2019, led by current deputy Gabriel Silva, one of the leaders of the Vamos coalition.
The independent will have her second term as a deputy of the Assembly, this time as principal.
During her time as a substitute deputy, she managed to promote, together with Congressman Juan Diego Vásquez and organized civil society groups, Law 213, which establishes measures for the comprehensive approach to endometriosis and labor protection standards.
The norm allows workers who suffer from this disease to request, after certification by an interdisciplinary commission, the rights established in Law 59 of 2005.
The elected representative was also one of the leading figures in denouncing abuses against boys, girls, adolescents, and older adults in some shelters in the country.
During the campaign, he proposed promoting public policy laws focused on childhood and adolescence, improving the quality of public education, and rescuing famous schools at the national level.
In addition, it seeks to promote security and economic revitalization through support for MSMEs.
Chandler believes that “serving the country is always an honor and the position of speaker of the Assembly is a position of service.” Meanwhile, Castañeda has made it clear that whoever has the votes will assume said responsibility.
For the remainder of this month and ahead of July 1, both candidates are talking with other legislative groups to achieve the necessary support. What is clear is that only one will be the winner.
Dana Castañeda wins the presidency of the National Assembly
The National Assembly was installed with 70 of the 71 deputies.
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA/Dana Castañeda, the candidate of the official party of Realizing Goals (RM), was elected this Monday, July 1, as president of the National Assembly.
Castañeda not only obtained the support of his party but also added votes from other legislative factions such as the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Democratic Change (CD), and the Panameñista party.
The new president of the Assembly obtained 44 votes and her opponent, the independent candidate, Walkiria Chandler reached 26 votes.
There were no abstentions.
Castañeda, 56 years old, is from the province of Coclé, specifically from circuits 2-3, which includes the areas of La Pintada, Natá, and Olá.
She was one of the candidates who in the last race took advantage of the multiple nominations, appearing four times on the ballot for different political parties.
He has been part of the Patriotic Union (merged) and Democratic Change parties. She served as main deputy in the period 2009-2014.
Additionally, in the last period, she acted as undersecretary of the National Assembly.
Within her campaign proposals as a representative of the Republic, Castañeda proposes presenting laws in favor of health, education, and infrastructure, as well as promoting tourism.
For example, in this last sector, he proposed creating a cultural and religious promotion law that binds the Tourism Authority of Panama.
