Friday
Friday 9th February 2024.
February 8, 2024
The tranquility of the La Alameda urbanization, in Betania, was left behind. Since former President Ricardo Martinelli barricaded himself in the Nicaraguan Embassy in Panama on Wednesday, February 7, vans and vans have not stopped arriving as a symbol of his move and the transformation he will make to the diplomatic headquarters. Even Bruno’s dog appeared on the scene.
A few meters from the house, located in a residential area, there is a National Police checkpoint that monitors the area. In addition, a patrol passes frequently.
Meanwhile, curious neighbors walk their pets and stop to watch the commotion. Some to snoop and others to talk to journalists.
Just when this was happening, this Thursday morning, at 10:45 am, a truck similar to the ones that businesses use to ship merchandise arrived. There were two Nisato brand air conditioners, a 32-inch television and a 65-inch RGA brand television.
Martinelli, who is supposed to be alone in the embassy, will also have a family-sized gas grill in his new quarters.
From the Nicaraguan embassy, Ricardo Martinelli justified his request for asylum, asked for a vote for José Raúl Mulino, and gave an interview to CNN.
In the interview with journalist Fernando del Rincón he followed the script that he began to implement from the beginning of this week: that of the role of victim. He assured that he is persecuted, that Panama is a civil dictatorship and that President Laurentino Cortizo wants to kill him.
All this, ignoring what the conventions that support the figure of asylum provide. The 1928 Asylum Convention, one of those invoked by the Daniel Ortega regime to grant protection, in its fifth article, says, for example, that “ while asylum lasts, asylum seekers will not be allowed to practice acts contrary to public tranquility.”
The 1954 Convention on Diplomatic Asylum establishes this and adds something else: “ the asylum official will not allow the asylum seekers to practice acts contrary to public tranquility, nor to intervene in the internal politics of the territorial State .”
However, the former Panamanian president, in the interview he gave to CNN , conducted by journalist Fernando del Rincón, even said that he is not disqualified and that he will continue with his political campaign.
Martinelli barricaded himself in the Nicaraguan embassy after last Friday, February 2, the Supreme Court of Justice announced that it did not accept the appeal against the sentence of 10 years and 8 months in prison that was imposed on him for the New case. Business .
Next Friday, February 9, the deadline to withdraw the edict from the Criminal Chamber of the Court expires, stating that the cassation was not admitted. This put an end to the issue and what followed was a driving order for him to serve the prison sentence.
Martinelli was nominated by the Realizing Goals and Alliance parties as a presidential candidate for the general elections in May, but article 180 of the Constitution says that “ A person who has been convicted of an intentional crime with a custodial sentence cannot be elected President or Vice President of the Republic.” of freedom of five years or more, by means of an enforceable sentence, issued by a court of justice.”
It means that he is prevented from continuing in the electoral process, so his running mate, lawyer José Raúl Mulino, must take the lead of the main candidacy, since the Electoral Code does not allow for a new figure.
In a statement released this Thursday, February 8, the Electoral Court reported that it has not yet received a copy of the final ruling in the case of the former Panamanian president. He recalled what Article 180 of the Constitution establishes and added that it is his responsibility to “disqualify” those who find themselves in this legal condition, as established in paragraph 10 of Article 615 of the Electoral Code .
Finally, he reported that when the copy of the authenticated final judgment arrives, “the corresponding process will be carried out expeditiously and in accordance with the Political Constitution and the electoral law.”
Ricardo Lombana , presidential candidate for the Other Path Movement (MOCA ), stated that his proposal to improve the justice system in the country involves making profound changes to the Constitution .
Lombana pointed this out this Thursday, February 1, during a meeting with the members of the State Commission for Justice , who have called the presidential candidates one by one to find out their opinion on justice and what they plan to do with the State Pact. with Justice.
In the candidate’s words, the country is asking for a new system of rules that protects citizens against abuses of power and that begins with a new Constitution, which reduces the size of the National Assembly, which changes the requirements to be magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice and reduce the discretion of the President of the Republic.
“We must eliminate a series of privileges and privileges that allow politicians and rulers not to be reached by justice,” he said.
He also referred to making supervisory entities such as the Comptroller General of the Republic, the Electoral Prosecutor’s Office stronger and more efficient, and converting the National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information into an investigation agency for cases of political and private corruption.
The MOCA leader urged the population not to vote for “criminals dressed as deputies,” so that those who reach the National Assembly will support the measures he proposes.
In case of not achieving a majority in the Assembly, Lombana stressed that the Executive has the power to consult the people in which several questions would be asked.
One of them is if the country wants a National Assembly of 31 deputies or smaller, if the second electoral round is desired or if the creation of townships and circuits is limited.
Reviewing subsidies, especially those granted to companies, as well as focusing and, in some cases, eliminating them, were the points addressed by the candidates for the presidency and vice-presidency of the Republic for the next elections, who attended the sixth Agenda País 2024 forum -2029 organized by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (Cciap).
The forum analyzed the report on human development in Panama, in alliance with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) , together with specialists from various social sectors analyzed the inequalities present in the country in areas such as health, education, institutions, water and employment, as well as the new challenges that exist for the next five years in this matter.
One of the most notable topics addressed at the event was the subsidy, where everyone agreed that within their work agendas they have considered reviewing which transfers should remain, such as those for education, and even focusing on others, such as the tank transfer. Of gas.
A deputy commissioner of the National Police was arrested yesterday, Wednesday, when it was discovered that he was transporting illicit substances in the province of Chiriquí.
Personnel from the Drug Prosecutor’s Office, together with police agents, reported that they seized 15 packages with alleged illicit substances in this event that occurred in the east of the Chiricana province.
“This type of behavior does not represent the majority of the members of the country’s first security institution, so we will not hesitate to act ‘whoever falls’ against those who do not honor the principles and norms that govern us,” he said. the National Police in a statement.
Fuel prices will register an increase starting this Friday, February 9, according to the National Secretariat of Energy (SNE).
According to the price table released by the SNE, 95 octane gasoline will increase two cents and will be sold at $1.00 per liter ($3.78 per gallon).
While 91 octane gasoline will have an increase of 3 cents and will be on sale for $0.93 per liter ($3.51 per gallon).
As for low sulfur diesel, it will also increase 3 cents and will be priced at $0.94 per liter ($3.57 per gallon).
The new fuel prices will be in effect from 6:00 am on Friday, February 9 until 5:59 am on Friday, February 23.
The processes carried out in the blood banks of the Social Security Fund (CSS) were once again automated yesterday, Wednesday, in the afternoon, after the entity reached an agreement with the supplier company DiaMed Panamá Corp., SA ., for the use of eDelphyn and Cell Therapy software that provides access to the donor database.
The company withdrew the software on January 31, since the CSS owes them an amount of $434,628.17 for its use and maintenance service during 2023. This medium was able to learn that the company will provide the service for six more months to the institution.
The withdrawal of the software caused the loss of traceability of sensitive donor and patient information, since there was no way to access the donation history of each individual, the results of infectious tests on previous donations (especially those with permanent deferral due to reactivity in some of its tests) and prior alerts due to donor conditions detected in the selection stage, among others.
The CSS, through a statement, indicated that the company’s decision to reactivate the service was made known to the entity after its Shareholders’ Meeting approved the communication issued by the institution on February 2. However, the CSS authorities did not provide further details in this regard. Technical, medical and administrative staff of the laboratories hope that the situation will not be repeated in the coming months.