The planned appointment of Miguel Antonio Bernal as Panama's ambassador to France has been canceled. This decision was revealed in the agenda of the National Assembly on April 23rd.
Joanna Villarreal RodrĂguez will now assume the role of ambassador. She was scheduled to appear before the Foreign Relations Commission of the National Assembly on April 23rd as part of the confirmation process, but this was postponed.
Mr. Bernal had previously accompanied President José Raúl Mulino to France in October 2024, acting in his capacity as ambassador-designate. During this visit, discussions were held with French President Emmanuel Macron about removing Panama from European grey lists.
The reasons behind the change in ambassadors remain unclear. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to provide detailed explanations, although records show that, as of February 2025, Mr. Bernal had not received the French government's approval (beneplácito) to serve as ambassador.