Manuel Amador Guerrero

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Template:Infobox President Manuel Amador Guerrero (b. 1833 d. 1909) was the first President of Panama from 20 February 1904 to 1 October 1908. He was a member of the Conservative Party.

Very little is known about his childhood and teenage years. He was born on Turbaco, Colombia, when Panama was part of that country. He came to Panama in 1855 and started working on the Panama Railroad as a doctor. He worked also more than 20 years on the Santo Tomas Hospital. His most important work was as chief doctor of the Panama Railroad. This job was crucial in the role he played on the panamanian independence from Colombia. He was an important player on the independence movement of 1903.

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Presidency

After his role in the independence, he was elected unanimously by the National Constituent Convention of 1904 as the first president of Panama. In his administration, the government of the new country was organized, and international relations were instituted. The national currency, the balboa, was created, and the monetary agreement with the US was reached, making the US dollar legal as currency on the panamanian territory. The first steps for the reconciliation with Colombia were taken. To allow him to be president, article 141 was included on the 1904 Constitution of Panama by which a citizen could be elected president even if he wasn't born in Panama, only if he played an active role in the independence. In the last monts of his administration, he asked for a 6 month license so he could make a tour to the USA and Europe. This is the longest licence a president has been given. The reasons for this long trip were many, among them politics, pleasure and disease (he had been diagnosed with cancer). The national Assembly dictaed a law on 1932 to make Amador's birthdate a national holiday.

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After his presidency

He retired from public life and died soon after in his house on San Felipe. His last coherent words were to express his wish that the National Anthem was played as his body was lowered to his gravesite, a wish that was realized.

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