Panama warns Nicaragua for political meetings of former President Martinelli in its embassy

The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, said that the political meetings that former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli has been holding in the Nicaraguan embassy, ​​where he is seeking asylum, are a “nuisance and concern” for his government.

In a press conference this Thursday, Mulino highlighted that this is a first formal warning to Nicaragua and demanded that international asylum conventions be respected.

The president stated that he instructed Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha to meet with the Nicaraguan ambassador, Consuelo Sandoval Meza, to complain to her about the political meetings held by Martinelli, who has been asylum in that diplomatic headquarters since last February 7.

“That was not a decision of the chancellor, I asked for it to put some order and comply with the international asylum conventions. Let’s not transform that or any other embassy into a political center and partisan political activity,” warned Mulino, who also left open the possibility of taking stricter measures if the situation persists.

Former President Martinelli (2009-2014) has maintained active political participation from the embassy, ​​which Panama considers interference in its internal affairs.

Martinelli’s asylum has been described as unusual by diplomatic experts, who criticize the handling of the situation and the delay in taking decisive action. Meanwhile, the relationship between the governments of Panama and Nicaragua continues to deteriorate.

The altercations between the Panamanian Foreign Ministry and the Nicaraguan representation began with this asylum. On March 14, the Panamanian government, at that time under the presidency of Laurentino Cortizo (2019-2024), addressed a letter to the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry alleging that this asylum was an “open interference in Panamanian internal affairs” and rejected that Martinelli uses the Nicaraguan diplomatic headquarters in Panama for political-partisan purposes.

This provoked an immediate reaction from Managua, which alleged that not recognizing former President Martinelli’s asylum and denying his safe passage “constitutes a violation” of the asylum conventions.

“Martinelli is no longer Mulino”

The presidency of José Raúl Mulino has become increasingly critical of the Nicaraguan government and asylum. This, despite the fact that when he just won the elections last May, Mulino visited the former president and celebrated the victory with him.

The campaign slogan“Martinelli is Mulino” has been left behind, according to some analysts, after the reform project to the Social Security Fund that includes an increase in the retirement age of 3 years promoted by Mulino, was rejected by the ruling Realizing Goals party that led to Mulino to the presidency when Martinelli was disqualified from running in the March elections due to a sentence of more than 10 years in prison that weighs on him.

This Wednesday, Martinelli denied any break with Mulino on his social network X, but political analysts point to an evident distancing.

Martinelli’s conviction for “New Business”

Martinelli, who insists that he is politically persecuted, was sentenced on July 18, 2023 to more than 10 years in prison after being found guilty of money laundering in the “New Business” case.

The investigation revealed that the former president used a complex network of companies to divert public and private funds, which were used to purchase Editora Panamá América SA in 2010, during his presidency.

According to the Public Ministry, the transaction was financed by diverting $43.9 million of public funds from contracts awarded by the government. These funds were triangulated through various fictitious companies that later participated in the purchase of the publishing group.

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