What Happened
Roberto Motta Alvarado, a prominent Panamanian businessman, rancher, banker, and civic figure, died on April 11 at the age of 86. His death closes a long career that reached across Panama’s corporate, social, and philanthropic life.
He was associated with several major companies and institutions in Panama, including Banco General, La Prensa, ASSA Compañía de Seguros, Gold Mills, and Calox. He was also involved in the founding of the Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua and belonged to Club Rotario Panamá Sur.
Business Career
Motta Alvarado built his own business path beginning in 1967, when he acquired a small perfume and cosmetics distribution business that had belonged to his uncles Arturo and Alberto Motta. From that base, he founded Agencias Motta, S.A., which began operating on Avenida Central between 1967 and 1969.
The company later moved to Vía Frangipani in 1970 and eventually relocated to the Industrial Urbanization area in Los Ángeles. That growth reflected the expansion of a business that developed from a modest distributor into a more established enterprise tied to Panama’s commercial landscape.
Civic and Institutional Role
Beyond the private sector, Motta Alvarado played an active role in Panama’s civic and business organizations. He served as president of the Asociación de Ejecutivos de Empresa and as a director of the Cámara de Comercio. He was also described as an activist in the Cruzada Civilista, a movement that became part of Panama’s broader civic history.
His career was linked to ethical and moral values, and he was remembered as a man focused on work, faith, and country. Those qualities placed him among a generation of Panamanian business leaders whose influence extended beyond company boards into education and public life.
Family and Legacy
Born on August 26, 1939, he was the son of Roberto Motta Cardoze and Dora Alvarado de Motta. He was married to Marianela Stanziola González Revilla, and they had four children: Roberto III, Emily, Liz Marie, and Félix Miguel.
His funeral is scheduled for Monday at 10:00 a.m. at the Parroquia de San Lucas. His death marks the loss of a longtime figure in Panama’s business world whose influence touched finance, insurance, logistics, education, and civic engagement.