Quick Facts
Biography
Alejandro M. Castillero Pinilla (born 1972 in Chitré, Panama) is an attorney, real estate investor, shareholder of Nazareno Livestock Cattle Ranch, and founding partner of Castillero & Castillero law firm in Chitré, the capital of the province of Herrera, on the Azuero Peninsula of Panama.
In August 2009, Castillero was named Technical Coordinator of PRONAT — the National Land Administration Program, the sole government entity responsible for facilitating the titling process in Panama — by Panama President Ricardo Martinelli. Since that time, under the Martinelli administration, he and his PRONAT team have, on average, titled more than 2,500 properties per month.
Financed by Inter-American Development Bank), the extent of this land titling initiative is unprecedented for the Central American country, and is critical to achieving the Panama federal government’s goal of titling the entire country within five years to accelerate investment opportunities nationwide.
The impact of Castillero’s and his team’s early work at PRONAT came to fruition on December 31, 2009 when Law 80 was passed, facilitating possessory rights and free land titles across the Panamanian coastal zones and islands. These regions, incidentally, are home to many indigenous peoples, whose agrarian livelihoods render most unable to pay even modest amounts for the titles that stand to name them rightful owners of land which, in most cases, has sustained their families for generations.
With this in mind, PRONAT made titles for properties of five hectares or less available free-of-charge to the possessor. For those who wish to title more than five hectares — or buy currently unoccupied untitled land from the government — a price table, based on property location and size, is included in the law, alleviating discrepancies and legal confusion.
Mr. Castillero earned his Law and Political Science degree from Santa Maria La Antigua University in Panama City, Panama, and later, a master's degree in international banking and financial law from Boston University, USA.
Alejandro boasts a long record of public service and has held many important posts throughout his career, namely, National Director of Copyrights at the Ministry of Education, Legal Advisor to the http://www.fao.org/countryprofiles/index.asp?lang=en&iso3=PAN Agriculture Affairs Committee] of the National Legislative Assembly, and Legal Advisor to the Superintendency of Banks.
Castillero stepped down in 2009 as CEO of Cascor Realty to accept his public position as Director of PRONAT, but remains active in various philanthropic initiatives and charitable organizations. Alejandro is a founding member of the Rotary Club of Chitré, Treasurer of the Herrera sub-Program of The Special Olympics, and President of the Eneida Moreno de Castillero Foundation, a local organization dedicated to advancing the public welfare of the province of Herrera and the entire Azuero region.