Deputy Yanibel Ábrego and leader of the “El Cambio Es Ya” payroll, made official her presidential candidacy of the Cambio Democrático (CD) party, ahead of the elections on May 5, 2024. Accompanied by co-partisans and colleagues, she ran for the primaries of the political collective.

Ábrego, who is in a dispute with Rómulo Roux for control of the political group, stated that he seeks to restore hope to all Panamanians, a better quality of life, more work “and money in the pocket of the people.”

Not all the 14 deputies who have supported Ábrego were present at the nomination ceremony, however, the political leader assured that she has the support of all her colleagues. In addition to the mayors and representatives of corregimientos “who did not allow themselves to be intimidated by the blackmail and injustices of a president who does not know what democracy is” in reference to Roux.

She predicted a resounding victory in the CD primary elections, on July 9, “I’m sure we’re going to win, we have the organized team that has won elections, which is used to winning elections,” she said.

She reiterated that if she is CD’s presidential candidate, she will only make an alliance with the Realizando Metas party, led by former president Ricardo Martinelli.

Ábrego is the third figure seeking to be the presidential standard-bearer of Cambio Democrático in the general elections on May 5, 2024.

Former legislator Olmedo Guillén y Roux, who is the president of the political party, has already applied for this position.

Ábrego leads the “El Cambio es Ya” faction, which together with 14 deputies were called rebels, for not following the party’s guidelines on July 2, 2021, when they voted for the PRD deputy, Crispiano Adames, for the presidency of the National Assembly .