Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez is a Panamanian businessman and former politician who served as the 37th president of Panama from 2014 to 2019. Varela previously was the vice president of Panama from 2009 to 2014 and Minister of Foreign Relations from 2009 to 2011 under President Ricardo Martinelli. He led the Panameñistas, the third-largest political party in Panama, from 2006 to 2016.