New Panamanian Ambassador to Morocco After Suspending Ties with Self-Proclaimed SADR

Doha – Panama appointed Isbeth L. Queil Murcia as Ambassador to Morocco, with the diplomat presenting her credentials to Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Rabat on Monday.

Queil Murcia brings extensive diplomatic experience to her new role as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, having served as Director General of Foreign Policy and Deputy Representative to the United Nations for Panama.

The appointment strengthens diplomatic momentum initiated last November when Panama suspended relations with the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).

The suspension decision carried particular weight given Panama’s historical position as the first Latin American country to recognize SADR in 1980 and host its first claimed embassy in the region.

In announcing the suspension on November 21, 2024, Panama’s Foreign Ministry underscored its support for United Nations-led efforts toward “a peaceful, just, sustainable and acceptable solution for the parties concerned with the Sahara issue.”

King Mohammed VI responded with a message to Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino Quintero, expressing gratitude for the “wise decision” regarding Morocco’s national cause.

Foreign Ministers Nasser Bourita and Javier Eduardo Martinez-Acha Vasquez held a video conference on November 27 to revitalize bilateral cooperation.

The ministers outlined plans for collaboration in green development, energy transition, agriculture, food security, fisheries, and tourism, while establishing political consultation mechanisms between their foreign ministries.

Panama’s diplomatic realignment preceded its upcoming role as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council starting January.

According to MAP news agency, Panama will “actively contribute to finding a definitive solution to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, within the framework set by the latest UN Security Council resolution.”

The suspension aligns Panama with over 100 countries supporting Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a political solution, including 20 European Union member states.

Panama joins Ecuador, which withdrew SADR recognition in October 2024, in a growing shift within Latin America’s diplomatic stance on the Sahara issue.