Erika Mouynes

Erika Mouynes (born 24 November 1977) is a Panamanian diplomat and lawyer. Mouynes held various senior roles in the government of Panama, including serving as the 62nd Minister of Foreign Affairs.

She currently serves as the Chair of the Advisory Board for the Atlantic Council-Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center. Mouynes is a fellow at the Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative.

Her professional experience extends to the private sector, where she has worked as a senior attorney at the international law firm Shearman & Sterling LLP. She also held the position of Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Fintech Advisory, an investment company based on Wall Street.

Early life and education
Mouynes was born in Panama. She completed her undergraduate education in Panama, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Law and Political Sciences from Santa Maria la Antigua Catholic University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the Latin American University of Science and Technology, graduating magna cum laude from both institutions. Mouynes pursued further education in the United States as a Fulbright scholar and obtained a postgraduate Certificate in Business, a Master of Laws (LLM) in Corporate Law from New York University, as well as a LLM in International Law from the University of California, Berkeley.

Beginnings
Mouynes began her career practicing law in Panama and abroad. She was an attorney in project finance at the New York City office Shearman & Sterling law firm from 2007 to 2013. Subsequently, she served as Chief Legal Officer of the investment fund, Fintech from 2013 to 2017.

In 2015, Mouynes received the Association of Corporate Counsel's Best Global General Counsel Award in 2015.

In the Panamanian government, Mouynes was appointed Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries in 2004 and Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation in 2019. She played a role in negotiating the U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement and contributed to the development of Panama’s COVID-19 vaccine portfolio.

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mouynes served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama from December 2020-October 2022. Appointed by then President Laurentino Cortizo on December 2, 2020, she succeeded Dr. Alejandro Ferrer. During her tenure at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mouynes addressed multiple global and regional issues, focusing on climate change, digital inclusion, irregular immigration, and gender inequality. She aimed to incorporate these topics into Panama's foreign policy and international discussions. Her diplomatic achievements include leading efforts to form the first-ever alliance of countries that are carbon negative and securing environmental protections for the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor.

Mouynes actively represented Panama in international forums such as the Forum of Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development 2022, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Smart Women, Smart Power Conversation at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, emphasizing the importance of sustainability and gender equality in solution building. She has been acknowledged for her role in promoting dialogues and convening conferences with high-ranking government officials and business leaders across the Western Hemisphere.

Current roles
Currently, Mouynes chairs the Board of the Atlantic Council-Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and is a fellow at the Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative.

Selected publications

 * Mouynes, Erika. In Search of Confidence to Govern. UNO Magazine, July 2023
 * Mouynes, Erika. No Puede Haber Democracia sin Confianza (“Mea Culpa”) (No Democracy without Trust). El Pais, September 2022
 * Mouynes, Erika, and Meghan Lopez. Rethinking Migration in Latin America. Project Syndicate. February 2022
 * Mouynes, Erika. Without Women Leaders, We Won’t Have The Bold and Concrete Climate Actions Our Planet Requires. Ms. Magazine. December 2021
 * Mouynes, Erika. The (Literal) Gap in U.S. Migration Policy. Foreign Policy. June 2021