Guillermo Ford

Guillermo "Billy" Ford Boyd (11 November 1936 – 19 March 2011) was a Panamanian politician, diplomat, and businessman who was Vice President of Panama from 1989 to 1994, serving as second vice president from 1989 to 1992 and first vice president from 1992 to 1994. He later served as the from 1999 to 2002.

Ford was one of the running mates of Guillermo Endara in the 1989 Panamanian election. During the campaign, Ford survived an assassination attempt overtly ordered by dictator Manuel Noriega. Following Endara and Ford's suppressed victory, the United States invaded Panama, deposed Noriega, and installed the democratically elected leaders.

Early life and education Ford was born in Panama City, Panama, on 11 November 1936. He graduated from Balboa High School in the Canal Zone.

Career Opposition leader (1982–1989) A founding member of the Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (MOLIRENA), Ford was a leading opponent of military dictator Manuel Noriega.

1989 campaign

In 1989, Ford joined the ticket of Guillermo Endara and Ricardo Arias Calderón to challenge pro-Noriega candidate Carlos Duque. After the initial vote count showed Endara and Ford's coalition leading Noriega's backed candidate by a 3 to 1 margin, the election results were invalidated by the Noriega regime before counting could be completed.

Attempted assassination After a rally in support of Endara and Ford, members of the Dignity Battalions, armed with guns, pipes, and wooden planks, brutally attacked Ford and his entourage. The attack was widely described as an "assassination attempt" carried out on the orders of General Noriega. United States president George H. W. Bush referred to the Dignity Battalions as "doberman thugs" in a press conference on 13 May 1989.

Vice presidency (1989–1994) Ford was sworn is as Second Vice President of Panama at Fort Clayton on 20 December 1989. This intervention-backed appointment transitioned power from Noriega's military dictatorship to civilian rule, with the Endara administration gaining swift U.S. recognition and economic aid for reconstruction. In his dual role as minister, Ford authored the economic reform package aimed at stabilizing Panama's economy, known as the "Ford Plan." Sworn into office on 29 November 1999, his tenure coincided with the handover of the Panama Canal on 31 December 1999. The Panamanian National Assembly also honored him with a special resolution.