When Panama became an independent republic in 1903, it was almost void of infrastructure. Traveling from Panama City to, say, Chiriquí was a two-day, dangerous affair on board frail sail boats and the majority of citizens had never seen a modern hospital. In other words, life hadn?t changed much since the colonial period.

Belasario Porras was the
President of Panama in
the early 1900's."

Although the first governments invested greatly in education and infrastructure, virtually all historians agree that Panama entered into the 20th century after 1916, with the first term as president of Dr. Belisario Porras.

A man of liberal and progressive ideas, Porras was elected president three times during the first two decades of the republic. Thus, he was able to complete a long list of civil projects 'something unusual for the average president during that time, due to the unstable nature of Isthmian politics in the early 20th century.

The establishment of the National Archives, the drafting of the country's penal code, the construction of the first national railroad system in the province of Chiriquí and the construction of Santo Tomás Hospital, which was then Central America's most modern medical facility, are only a few of the projects attributed to Porras. A firm believer in culture, science and international relations, Porras built a number of monuments honoring foreign governments and personalities, such as the Vasco Núñez de Balboa Park, on Avenida Balboa, which was erected with the sponsorship of King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Porras was also the creator of the neighborhood of La Exposición, a planned "city" of government institutions, beautiful plazas and mansions which acted as the real capital of Panama during the first half of the 20th century. The neighborhood was built on the site of the great Exhibition of Panama? an international showcase of science, culture and technology organized by Porras between 1915-1916 with the sponsorship of foreign gover-nments.

Porras died in 1942 and the government of Panama soon erected a monument in his honor, located in a park between Avenida Cuba and Perú, in La Exposición. Parque Porras is now one of Panama City's most recognizable landmarks, some-times used for political meetings and demonstrations.