PANAMA: BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON FIRST LADY

UNCLAS PANAMA 001146 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN/BRIGHAM AND INR/B E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR PM POLITICS FOREIGN POLICY SUBJECT: PANAMA: BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON FIRST LADY VIVIAN FERNANDEZ DE TORRIJOS ¶1. (SBU) Panamanians widely hold Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos, wife of President-elect Martin Torrijos, in high regard. She is well known for her active role in charitable and social work, as well as being a model mother and wife. Vivian Torrijos is an accomplished publicist and has worked for her father's advertising company (Publicis Fergo). She is also the founder and President of Agencia para el Desarrollo (ACDE),a Panamanian NGO that promotes development in poor Panamanian communities, both metropolitan and rural. Because of her passionate commitment to Panama's social welfare, Ms. Torrijos has been successful in uniting women to work with her on educational, healthcare, environmental, and cultural programs. ¶2. (SBU) Ms. Torrijos has made supporting her husband's political career a priority. She actively supported his losing 1999 presidential campaign and his triumphant 2004 campaign. She claims not to have political ambitions of her own (although many Panamanians believe she has the "common touch" to succeed as a politician). Ms. Torrijos has stated that as First Lady she will continue to support her husband in all aspects of his presidency, especially on social issues. She has focused on ensuring school accessibility and the right to an education for all Panamanians, especially the poor and children with special needs. Ms. Torrijos told La Prensa that she would support creating an entire section of the Panamanian Ministry of Education that would be dedicated solely to working with special education issues. ¶3. (SBU) Born March 25, 1966, Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos is the youngest of five children of Antonio and Hilda Fernandez. Antonio Fernandez, better known in Panama under the pseudonym "Tony Fergo" as a popular composer/singer and publicist, is a naturalized Panamanian citizen born in Cuba. Ms. Torrijos married Martin Torrijos Espino in 1990, and they have three children (Daniela Maria, Martin Omar and Nicolas Antonio). Ms. Torrijos attended middle and high school at the Panamanian chapter of the all-girls Catholic school Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Colegio de Las Esclavas del Sagrado Corazon). Ms. Torrijos earned a bachelors in Business Administration from Florida State University and Nova University, both in Panama City. She speaks English well. MCMULLEN