The President of the Republic of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo, made official the appointments of Vladimir A. Franco Sousa, as the new Vice Chancellor of Foreign Relations and Yill del Carmen Otero, as the new Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs and International Cooperation.

The latter comes to the position to replace Ana Luisa Castro Novey who resigned as of December 1st.

Among the studies carried out by Franco Sousa, the following stand out: a degree in Law and Political Science from the Latin American University of Science and Technology (ULACIT), he obtained a Master’s degree in Law with a Specialty in International Law from the Institute of International Relations of the kyiv State University .

Added to this, Franco Sousa speaks five languages: Spanish, Russian, English, Japanese and German. He has had experience as advisor to the Minister of Government and General Director of Legal Affairs and Treaties of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, director of the Department of Europe, and Attaché in the Mission of Panama to the Organization of American States (OEA/OAS), in Washington DC, United States, International Relations analyst, among others.

Yill del Carmen Otero is currently working as director of International Promotion at the Authority for the Promotion of Exports and Investment Attraction (PROPANAMA).

The director has a degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies with an emphasis in Business Administration from Florida State University, United States, obtained an International Diploma in Governance and Political Management from George Washington University and a Diploma in Strategic Management of NGOs from Quality Leadership University.

Within PROPANAMA, she has held other positions such as promoter of Foreign Investments, head of International Fairs and General Director of Export Promotion of the Vice Ministry of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.