Monday
Monday 31st March 2025.
March 30, 2025
The Panamanian National Police reported on the afternoon of Sunday, March 30, that an Interpol alert request against former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) is still pending .
The request was submitted by Judge Baloisa Marquínez and is under review by the Interpol General Secretariat , based in France. According to the official statement, the international organization has yet to evaluate whether the alert will be approved or rejected, and if so, member countries will be notified.
Meanwhile, Panamanian authorities clarified that Martinelli does not currently have a confirmed Interpol alert. The process is still active, but has not yet been ratified by the international body.
The clarification comes amid speculation about the former president’s legal status, who recently confirmed his intention to travel to Nicaragua, where he has requested political asylum.
This morning, National Police Director Jaime Fernández addressed the receipt of an Interpol alert against former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014). However, he clarified that this notification will not affect the protocol established for his departure to Nicaragua.
“Indeed, we received an Interpol alert. But again, this alert will not interrupt the ongoing protocol regarding the former president’s travel to Nicaragua. We’ll see how the Interpol alert works later, as it’s being issued because he will be in Nicaragua,” the director stated.
According to the source, the alert was received last Friday, March 28, through an internal communication document between Interpol agencies.
The Police Director also confirmed that the information about the alert came directly from Interpol International, which issued it and forwarded it to the office in Panama. “This came through Interpol, through Interpol, that’s right,” Fernández reiterated when asked about the origin of the document.
The alert is currently being analyzed by the relevant agencies, who will determine the appropriate actions within the framework of international cooperation.
For the time being, the National Police will focus on ensuring the former president can board his flight without incident. “This is not a common case; it’s a situation that requires legal evaluation. However, the National Police will fulfill its duty to escort Martinelli to the airport for his trip to Nicaragua,” Fernández stated.
When asked who issued the alert, the police director responded to La Prensa as follows: “The alert request was issued by the Supreme Court of Justice in Panama. It was received by Interpol Panama and forwarded to Interpol France for ratification and verification, to determine whether it is admissible. No other country has requested this alert, only the Panamanian court.”
Martinelli was sentenced to 10 years and 8 months in prison for money laundering in the New Business case.
After the conviction in this case became final, Judge Baloisa Marquínez issued an arrest warrant for Martinelli so that the Judicial Investigation Directorate (DIJ) could transfer him to a penitentiary center to serve his sentence.
The Interpol alert would allow for his arrest and possible extradition if he attempts to leave Nicaragua, the country where he received asylum.
Furthermore, in February 2024, Judge Marquínez ordered his arrest to ensure his appearance at the Odebrecht trial, scheduled for November 11 to December 19 of this year. This order was issued by Judge Marquínez at the request of anti-corruption prosecutor Ruth Morcillo, “given that he has demonstrated an intention to evade Panamanian justice after being granted political asylum by the Republic of Nicaragua.”
At the time, the prosecution alleged that the former president’s defense had filed numerous motions to delay the proceedings and believed that the clear intention of these actions was to allow the defendant to avoid responsibility.
The recent controversy over the salary-receiving alternate deputies in the National Assembly has generated additional repercussions within the Vamos coalition. The alternates themselves have expressed concern about the lack of recognition and participation in the group’s decisions, requesting greater voice and consideration in the internal processes that affect them.
Such was the case of a complaint made by Lydia Caballero, deputy Eduardo Gaitán’s substitute, to members of the caucus about how the issue of substitute deputies was being handled. The conversation involved Vamos’s leader and founder, Juan Diego Vásquez, and even the mayor of San Miguelito, Irma Hernández, who had to intervene.
Sources told this outlet that Caballero began by expressing his “dissatisfaction” with the handling of the issue of Vamos’ substitutes in recent weeks.
“I find the statements made in media interviews, as well as the wording of some official statements made by members of the caucus, regrettable, as they do not represent the views of any of the HDS [the substitutes],” said the alternate deputy.
He later added that “at no time have any approaches been made by the caucus to define, in a manner that is not unilateral, the actions to be taken in this regard. Beyond individual approaches, no group meeting has been convened.”
In Caballero’s case, he is not on any ticket, but he felt he could not remain indifferent to the events that had taken place.
Following the alternate deputy’s remarks, Vásquez responded by pointing out that she had been in a meeting with all the alternates and even retorted with the phrase: “You’re lying right off the bat.”
In response, Caballero clarified to Juan Diego Vásquez that the meeting he was referring to had taken place in 2024, that is, a year ago. However, the Vamos founder responded that the law was the same and hadn’t changed.
Amid the heated exchange of messages in the Vamos group, which includes some 140 people, including candidates who participated but did not win in the last election, San Miguelito Mayor Irma Hernández intervened, thanking Caballero for expressing his “dissatisfaction,” which she would take to the next board meeting.
Finally, Caballero said he understood the situation, but emphasized the importance of maintaining timely group dialogue within the Vamos party.
Trade fairs in Panama are gaining momentum and beginning to leave a significant impact on the country’s economy, consolidating its position as a business hub in the region.
Events such as Expocomer, Expo Logística Panamá, Expo Turismo Internacional, Expo Eléctrica Internacional Panamá, and Expo Tech generated commercial transactions totaling $195.4 million, according to a report by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture of Panama (Cciap) .
In addition to the participation of exhibitors and buyers from 41 countries, 845 exhibition booths, more than 21,134 business contacts, and an influx of 31,415 national and international visitors.
In addition to hotel occupancy, which exceeded 10,000 nights, according to Cciap.
According to the union, beyond the numbers, the true impact of these fairs is reflected in job creation. “When trade, investment, and tourism are boosted, more and better jobs are created for our people,” they stated in their Sunday column, where they also emphasized that collaborative work between the public and private sectors has been key.
They also highlighted the promotion of the country as a business destination by the Tourism Promotion Fund (PROMTUR) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MICI) by promoting the internationalization of national companies and encouraging foreign investment.
“All of this demonstrates that, in Panama, private enterprise and the public sector can work hand in hand toward a common goal: the country’s development,” stated the CCIAP.
The Ministry of Environment (Miambiente ) responded to a complaint about illegal logging and filling in a mangrove area located in the Panama Bay wetland, a Wildlife Refuge and RAMSAR Site, near the Juan Díaz pier, in the Panama District.
Given the situation, Miambiente ordered the immediate suspension of all activities at the site and summoned the company’s legal representatives to answer for this environmental violation, which constitutes a crime.
The case has been referred to the Environmental Crimes Prosecutor’s Office for the opening of a criminal case, while the Ministry of Environment will initiate administrative sanctioning proceedings. The sanction will be determined by the Environmental Policy Directorate once the technical report is completed and the evidence obtained is analyzed.
During an inspection of the area, it was found that the project underway lacked the necessary permits for mangrove felling, despite having an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that supposedly supported it.
In addition, illegal sand extraction was discovered, a situation that will be reported to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MICI) for appropriate action.
Miambiente calls on individuals and businesses to comply with environmental laws, warning that severe penalties will be applied to those who violate environmental protection regulations.
In recent months, the Panamanian government has strengthened its efforts to remove itself from discriminatory lists, specifically those of the European Union.
This bloc of countries keeps Panama on three lists or classifications that affect the Isthmus nation’s global prestige and can negatively impact its image in attracting investment and new capital.
In detail, these are:
- The list of high-risk countries for money laundering and terrorist financing.
- The list of non-cooperative countries in tax matters, also known as the list of tax havens according to the EU classification.
- A yellow card for failing to cooperate in the fight against illegal fishing.
Of these three lists, the country is the closest to being removed from the high-risk third-country classification for money laundering, according to European Union sources. Furthermore, progress is being made on measures to combat illegal fishing.
Regarding the list of high-risk countries for money laundering, last year the European Union Commission issued a resolution recommending that the European Parliament remove Panama from the list because the country had met the requirements to prevent these crimes. This was evidenced by Panama’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gray list in October 2023.
However, this March 2024 resolution failed to obtain the approval of the EU Parliament, and Panama was left on this list.
Panama’s exclusion was rejected because other countries on the list have not effectively improved their regulations and measures to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing risks, which has hindered the Central American country’s attempt to leave this classification.
At the time, the European Commission stated that it remained committed to removing Panama from the EU’s list of high-risk third countries.
However, the stumbling block lies in the fact that the resolution issued by the Commission to Parliament last year suggested removing not only Panama, but also Barbados, the United Arab Emirates, Gibraltar, and Uganda from the list.
With the path open for removal from the EU’s money laundering list, Panama must continue its efforts to be recognized as a cooperative country in the exchange of tax information. However, this depends on the Global Forum’s assessment and the General Directorate of Revenue’s implementation of measures to ensure compliance in this area.
The country also needs to move more quickly to avoid being issued a red card for measures to combat illegal fishing by flagged vessels, as the consequences of being penalized could lead to a ban on product exports to Europe or even the inability of flagged vessels to reach European ports.