Ricardo Martinelli is a Panamanian politician who served as the 49th President of the country. His conservative style is said to have been derived from his business background. He is the president and director of the board of Super99, a supermarket chain. As president of Panama, he cemented relations with the United States, which were already strong due to the country's strategic location (surrounding the Panama Canal physically). The Canal was under US control until its handover to Panama, which began in the last quarter of the twentieth century and concluded just before the twenty-first, with the Panama Canal Authority management completely in Panamanian hands. He leads the party currently, which is a powerful position as it is one of Panama's two largest parties. Martinelli came under fire during his presidency for allegedly using authoritarian tactics and corruption, yet his influence on reform measures provided tax laws which greatly simplified filing and collection and alleviation of poverty by subsidizing student expenses as well as raising the minimum wage