Ana Matilde Gómez, who as Panama’s first woman Attorney General, was railroaded by a cabal of Supreme Court judges, led by one later obliged to resign, survived to become the only independent deputy in the National Assembly, gaining more votes than any of the leading party hacks.

On Monday, July 23  she took the opportunity to thank over 50,000  Panamanians who would like her to become president  when she delivered to the Electoral Tribunal, dozens of books each containing over 5,000 signatures supporting her bid,

"With the act today we are able to inform our supporters and the nation that with these books we have exceeded 50 thousand signatures," said Deputy Gomez.

She also thanked the almost 800 activists who work ad honorem "thinking of a different and better course, in a different Panama".

She said  that this was an important process for Panamanian democracy that "opens up opportunities for everyone who has not been registered in political parties."