From Finance in Panama, and the 10 Boards of Directors, to the Ministry of Education, it is Now the ‘Ventura Vega’ Show.
Ventura Vega, the new Minister of Education, has a strong academic background in finance. Vega holds a degree in Banking and Finance but also trained as a primary school teacher at the Juan Demóstenes Arosemena School, considered to be a ‘Normal’ School in Santiago. Vega’s professional experience, however, has been developed mainly in public administration, where he has held positions related to finance, commerce, security, transport and institutional management. Vega was appointed Minister of Education on Thursday, August 13, one day after Lucy Molinar’s resignation. His resume lists his most recent position as Secretary General of the Comptroller General’s Office. Previously, he was an advisor to the President of the Republic at the Ministry of the Presidency, participated in Cabinet meetings with the right to speak, and served as the President’s liaison to the Legislative Assembly.
From Finance to Public Administration.
Ventura Vega’s first official activity as Minister of Education was his participation in the National Para-Athletics Tournament for Primary and Secondary School Students.
Vega’s professional experience includes the position of municipal treasurer of Panama and positions such as director of Administration and Finance in the then Ministry of Government and Justice and in the Ministry of Security. He also served as Deputy Minister in charge of Security and Director General of the Transit and Land Transportation Authority (ATTT). His time at the ATTT was related to one of the most impactful legal processes of that institution, the compensation program for the owners of buses known as “red devils”, removed from circulation with the introduction of the MetroBus system. Vega was investigated and prosecuted along with other former directors of ATTT for alleged irregularities in that process.
In September 2025, a court acquitted him, as well as the other former directors who had been prosecuted. At the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, he held the positions of National Director of Commerce and Vice Minister of Commerce. His resume also highlights his participation as the first director of the Panama Commodity Exchange, where he was involved in the regulation of the law and in the establishment of the first commodity exchange positions and brokers in the country. Prior to those positions, he worked as an auditor for National Casinos at the Comptroller’s Office and later served as deputy general manager and comptroller of that institution. He also served as deputy director of the Panamanian Sports Institute (Pandeportes).
The Boards of Directors.
The curriculum submitted for his appointment identifies 10 participations in boards of directors as current. These include Tocumen International Airport (Aitsa), National Cold Chain Markets (Merca), ATTT, National Highway Company (ENA), Electric Generation Company (Egesa), Board of Trustees of the Ann Sullivan Center Panama, National Passport Directorate, Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies (Icges), Colón Free Zone and Social Security Fund (CSS).
In Panamanian legislation, based on the Political Constitution and Law 32 of 1984, Organic Law of the Comptroller General of the Republic, amended by Law 351 of 2022, the participation of the Comptroller’s Office (the comptroller or the official to whom he delegates) in the boards of directors of the State is governed, as a general rule, by the right to speak, but without voting. This principle is also contemplated in the organic laws of various autonomous and semi-autonomous entities, such as the CSS, Tocumen, SA, ENA and the ATTT. In this way, the comptroller or his delegate can participate in the sessions, express opinions and make observations, without intervening through his vote in the decisions of the boards of directors.
The resume also lists previous board memberships. Vega was president of the board of the Panamanian Tourism Institute, now the Panama Tourism Authority, and a member of the boards of the National Charity Lottery, the Agricultural Development Bank (formerly IRHE), the Directorate of Insurance and Reinsurance, and Marine Resources. Vega takes over at Meduca with a background primarily in finance and public administration, while his training as a primary school teacher constitutes his direct academic link to the education sector.
Ventura Vega holds a degree in Banking and Finance and is a primary school teacher. His career includes positions in the Comptroller’s Office, the Commerce Department, the Security Department, and the ATTT (Transit and Land Transportation Authority), as well as serving on boards of directors.
