Max Delvalle Levy-Maduro (February 27, 1911 – December 20, 1979) was a Panamanian politician who served as

vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

from 1964 to 1968 and briefly served as

acting president An acting president is a person who temporarily fills the role of a country's president when the incumbent president is unavailable (such as by illness or a vacation) or when the post is vacant (such as for death, injury, resignation, dismissal ...

in 1967.

Career

Under the

Panamanian constitution Panama is governed under the Constitution of Panama of 1972 as amended in 1978, 1983, 1993, 1994, and 2004. This is Panama's fourth constitution, previous constitutions having been adopted in 1904, 1941, and 1946. The differences among these const ...

, the holder of the office of "first vice president" became acting president from April 8–15, 1967. Devalle said at the time that there were only two

Jewish presidents Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

in the world, the president of

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

and himself. Delvalle was described in the press as "the first Jewish president in the history of the Americas". President Robles continued to represent Panama at the summit in Uruguay and met with U.S. President

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

on April 13 to discuss the

Panama Canal Treaty Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cost ...

, before returning home."Johnson, President of Panama Agree to Speed Canal Treaty", ''Philadelphia Inquirer'', April 14, 1967, p. 3. Delvalle then resumed his regular duties as first vice president. Delvalle was the uncle of

Eric Arturo Delvalle Eric Arturo Delvalle Cohen-Henríquez (2 February 1937 – 2 October 2015) was a Panamanian politician. He served as Vice President under Nicolás Ardito Barletta. Following the disputed 1984 election, and after Barletta's forced resignation, ...

, who served as President of Panama from 1985 to 1988.

References

1911 births 1979 deaths Jewish Panamanian politicians Jewish presidents Panamanian Sephardi Jews People from Panama City Presidents of Panama Vice presidents of Panama {{Panama-politician-stub