Diego Vallarino Lewis, CEO, Grupo VerdeAzul

At Grupo VerdeAzul, our success has never been about chasing short-term opportunities. It has come from thinking long-term, investing with discipline, and building businesses that create real value for people and the country. We have always believed that if you develop with vision, integrity, and patience, growth becomes much more sustainable.

Another key factor has been our ability to integrate sectors that naturally reinforce one another. Real estate, hospitality, logistics, and other strategic investments are not isolated businesses for us; they are part of a broader platform to help shape communities, attract investment, generate employment, and strengthen Panama’s competitiveness.

We are also very deliberate about quality. When we develop projects, we do not like to cut corners. We invest in thoughtful planning, strong architecture, and infrastructure that allows our developments to compete internationally. That discipline may require more effort and patience upfront, but in the long run, it creates stronger projects, stronger communities, and much more durable value.

Many of our projects take decades to mature, and we are comfortable with that. Building great destinations requires patience, consistency, and a long-term commitment.

Finally, our local knowledge has been a major advantage. We are a Panamanian company with deep roots in the country, and that gives us a very practical understanding of the market, the people, the geography, and the long-term potential of each opportunity.

In many ways, our philosophy is simple: build things that will still make sense 30 or 50 years from now.

Today, Grupo VerdeAzul operates as a diversified investment and operating platform with three main pillars: real estate development, hospitality, and logistics, each of which contributes to long-term economic development in Panama and increasingly across the region.

In real estate, our primary focus is on developing large master-planned communities, including Buenaventura, Santa Mónica, Casamar, and Villa Marina. Rather than building isolated projects, we concentrate on creating complete destinations where infrastructure, nature, amenities, and lifestyle come together.

A key part of our strategy is to continue investing in infrastructure and amenities to introduce new phases of development over time. Much of our growth comes from launching new land opportunities within these communities for third-party developers or end-clients who want to build within a well-planned ecosystem.

In hospitality, our ambition is to become one of the leading hotel operators in Panama’s main tourism destinations. Our approach is centered on operating hotels that represent the best of each region while creating authentic and memorable experiences that celebrate Panamanian culture, gastronomy, and nature.

Finally, in logistics and related sectors, we are expanding our activities beyond Panama into Central America. Given Panama’s strategic position as a logistics hub connecting the Americas, expanding our logistics activities regionally is a natural evolution of our platform.

Across all these sectors, our philosophy is consistent: we focus on projects that create lasting value, strengthen communities, and elevate Panama’s profile as a destination for investment, tourism, and quality of life.

Panama is a highly attractive market, but also very demanding. There are many capable players, and the competition is no longer only local. Investors and buyers today compare Panama with global destinations, raising the bar significantly for product quality, credibility, execution, and long-term value.

One of the key ways we differentiate ourselves is through our focus on master-planned communities designed to evolve over multiple phases across many years. Developments such as Buenaventura, Santa Mónica, Casamar, and Villa Marina are not conceived as single projects but as long-term ecosystems where infrastructure, amenities, hospitality, and lifestyle gradually come together to create enduring destinations.

A major part of that strategy is creating amenities that serve as long-term competitive moats. Investments in infrastructure, nature integration, sports, hospitality, and community spaces require patience and capital, but they also make these destinations very difficult to replicate over time.

Another important differentiator is our strong emphasis on the service industry. In addition to development, we operate hospitality and lifestyle experiences that allow us to deliver a very high level of customer service with a distinct Panamanian character.

Ultimately, we think of ourselves not only as developers, but as long-term stewards of the communities we help create. Our goal is to build places that continue to thrive and evolve for decades.

Our expansion has been gradual but very intentional. We have grown by identifying sectors where Panama has a structural advantage and where long-term investment can have a multiplier effect.

One of the areas where we see enormous opportunity is Panama’s Pacific Riviera, which we believe has the potential to become one of the most attractive lifestyle and tourism corridors in the Americas. Developments such as Buenaventura are part of a broader vision to position the region as a destination for tourism, second homes, investment, and quality of life.

When these kinds of projects are done well, they do more than create financial returns. They generate employment, support local businesses, improve infrastructure, and attract international attention to the country.

I believe the private sector plays an important role in complementing national development. In Panama, that means helping build the ecosystems that attract talent, residents, visitors, and capital.

Panama has the rare advantage of combining global connectivity with extraordinary natural beauty. When those elements come together with thoughtful development, the result can be truly world-class destinations.

For us, relationships are built on trust, transparency, and consistency over time. We try to be very clear about what we believe, what we are building, and the time horizon required to create meaningful value.

We also believe strongly in alignment. The best long-term relationships are those in which all parties benefit from the project’s success and share a common standard for quality, ethics, and execution.

Partnership is not only about capital or scale; it is about shared values and shared ambition.

Being a family-owned company also shapes the way we approach partnerships. We tend to think in generations rather than investment cycles, and that perspective helps create very durable relationships.

Finally, we try to create value beyond the transaction itself. Whether someone is buying into a community, partnering on a hospitality project, or investing alongside us, we want them to feel they are part of something enduring and well-managed.

My long-term vision is for Grupo VerdeAzul to continue evolving into one of the most respected platforms for community development, tourism, and real asset investment in the region.

More importantly, I would like the company to be remembered as an agent of positive change. Through the projects we develop, our goal is to elevate the socioeconomic level of the communities around us and help position Panama as a country capable of offering world-class tourism and real estate destinations.

Looking ahead, our priorities are clear. We want to strengthen our position in projects where Panama can compete internationally, particularly in tourism, hospitality, lifestyle real estate, and destination creation. We are also committed to deepening our focus on sustainability, community integration, and long-term value creation.

If we do our job well, many of the places we are developing today should still be thriving communities 50 or even 100 years from now.

This year marks an important milestone for us. In August, Buenaventura will celebrate its 25th anniversary, a very meaningful moment for our entire organization.

It is, first and foremost, an opportunity to thank the many clients, residents, partners, and employees who have believed in the vision and helped make Buenaventura what it is today.

Over the past quarter-century, it has grown into one of the most important lifestyle communities in Panama, and that would not have been possible without the trust and commitment of so many people.

At the same time, we strongly believe that the best is still ahead of us. In the coming years, we will continue expanding the community with new phases and projects, including the development of a second golf course and new concepts such as Alamar, which will further strengthen Buenaventura as a destination for lifestyle, tourism, and investment.

For us, Buenaventura has always been more than a real estate project. It is a long-term vision for what a world-class coastal destination in the Americas can become.

Panama is still something of a hidden gem, but I don’t believe it will remain hidden for very long.

The country offers an extraordinary combination of advantages that are increasingly rare in the world today. It is one of the best places to live, invest, and retire: remarkably affordable compared to many global destinations, welcoming, and stable, with a dollarized economy, strong connectivity, excellent healthcare, and a population known for its warmth and friendliness.

Beyond those fundamentals, Panama also offers something more difficult to replicate — a remarkable quality of life surrounded by nature, oceans, and vibrant culture.

In many ways, we already have all the ingredients. What is happening now is that more people around the world are starting to discover them.

My message is simple: now is the time to visit Panama — and perhaps even consider making it your home.