Luis H. Moreno, defender of democracy and banking leader, dies

The death of Luis H. Moreno marks the departure of one of the key figures in the economic reconstruction of Panama after the end of the military dictatorship in 1989.

On the afternoon of this Thursday, April 9, the death of Luis H. Moreno, who represented Panama in international organizations such as the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Moreno assumed the management of the National Bank of Panama (BNP) in 1990, at a critical time for the financial system. From that position, he became a fundamental piece of the economic machinery of the government of Guillermo Endara Galimany, which faced the challenge of stabilizing a country with weakened public finances.

He was part of the team that, in a single presidential term, managed to direct economic recovery, amid fiscal limitations and battered institutions.

His management at the head of the BNP not only focused on banking stability, but also on accountability and ethics in public management.

In 1992, Moreno promoted investigations into cases of embezzlement and irregular management of funds within the bank itself, linked to the previous military administration.

In January 2023, the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, told him awarded the Manuel Amador Guerrero Order, in the Degree of Grand Crossto Moreno, in recognition of his merits in the financial sector and his contribution to the social and economic development of Panama.

Likewise, that same year Moreno received the Electoral Tribunal decoration and medal. This, in recognition of his contribution to strengthening the country’s democratic system.

Moreno, born in Chitré, developed an extensive career in the financial and civic fields. He began his career at The Chase Manhattan Bank in David, where he worked as a “banker on horseback,” touring farms in the province of Chiriquí.

Later, he moved to New York, where in 1970 he became the first Panamanian to occupy the general management and presidency of The Chase Manhattan Bank.

His academic training included studies at several universities abroad, until graduating with honors in Agronomy from the University of Arkansas in 1955.

In addition to his professional career, Moreno maintained active participation in the civic sphere. In 1998 he founded the Panamanian Foundation for Ethics and Civics.

With more than six decades of service, he was recognized as an Honorary Rotarian by the Rotary Club of Panama, after 66 years of uninterrupted participation.

In the academic field, he served as a professor of banking and administration at universities such as the Universidad Santa María la Antigua and the Technological University of Panama.

President Mulino, through his social networks, lamented the death of Moreno, whom he called an “exemplary citizen, impeccable banker, forger of ideas and projects.”