News
Wednesday 23rd April 2025.
April 22, 2025
Janine Prado , head of the Vamos coalition in the National Assembly, read a resolution to issue a vote of censure against Foreign Minister Javier Martínez Acha .
The legislative initiative seeks to officially question the actions of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for “engaging in acts of aggression and serious errors detrimental to the interests of the State” in relation to the handling of the crisis with the United States regarding the Panama Canal .
Prado based his proposal on the powers granted by the Constitution and the Organic Regulations of the Internal Regime (RORI) of the Assembly to exercise political control over cabinet members.
The resolution has the signatures of 39 deputies from different political factions. According to the RORI, the approval of the vote of no confidence requires the support of two-thirds of the Assembly. That is, the vote of 47 deputies is required.
The most critical point highlighted in the resolution is the signing, on April 9, 2025, of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Panama and the United States Department of Defense , which, according to the document, violates national sovereignty, the defense of the Panama Canal, and the Permanent Neutrality Treaty.
Consequently, they warn that the memorandum would allow, among other things, the use of Panamanian facilities and territories by U.S. personnel and contractors, who could even have exclusive use of areas with only prior notification to the Ministry of Public Security.
The resolution also warns that the content of the agreement “exceeds the limits of ordinary cooperation” and is equivalent to an international treaty that should have been approved by the Assembly and, in some respects, by national referendum.
The document also refers to international jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), on the cases of Qatar vs. Bahrain (1994) , Nigeria vs. Cameroon (2003) and Somalia vs. Kenya (2017) , in which memoranda, minutes or joint declarations were considered treaties due to their binding nature.
It also includes direct criticism of the recent behavior of Foreign Minister Martínez Acha, who on Friday, April 18, issued a statement that was described as “defiant and rude.” He stated: “Criticisms regarding the lack of transparency and the absence of a comprehensive strategy are invalid; I do not accept them.”
In Panama, a vote of no confidence is a mechanism by which the National Assembly can express its formal disapproval of a minister of state. This procedure is established in the Political Constitution of Panama and the Internal Regulations of the National Assembly.
At the time of writing this article, Martínez Acha had not commented on the matter.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in the public spotlight precisely for its handling of the crisis stemming from tensions with the United States, sparked by President Donald Trump’s attempts to regain control of the Panama Canal.
On April 15, Carlos Ruíz Hernández resigned as vice foreign minister; until then, he had been leading the talks with the U.S. government. In a letter to President José Raúl Mulino , obtained by La Prensa, he explained his decision in the following terms:
“If you consider that the Secretary of Defense of the United States had breached the agreement I personally reached with him, according to which he would not leave Panamanian territory without making clear, and without ambiguity, his respect for Panama’s sovereignty over our Canal, then I would take this step with fortitude […] to safeguard the trust you placed in me and to defend the institutional integrity of the country . “
The General Directorate of Public Procurement (DGCP) rejected the Judicial Branch’s (OJ) request to contract, through an exceptional procedure, the rental of an armored vehicle for use by Supreme Court Chief Justice María Eugenia López Arias . The agency warned that the proposal, valued at $70,620 for a 30-day rental, does not comply with legal, regulatory, or convenience standards for public procurement.
The DGCP concluded that the process initiated by the OJ did not adequately justify the application of the exceptional procedure, regulated by Article 79 of Law 22 of 2006, on public procurement, which can only be applied when there are no suitable substitutes or there is only one bidder in the market. However, after reviewing available bids, the entity identified other companies that offered similar or even superior services at a lower cost .
Among the most relevant observations of the director of the DGCP, Javier Raúl Marquinez Dejud , it is highlighted that the company Inspiration Holding Group, Inc. , which was proposed by the OJ, did not provide sufficient evidence of experience or proven track record in providing this type of services, such as letters of reference or history of similar contracts.
It also highlights that the technical report submitted by the OJ failed to consider offers with a better cost-benefit ratio , including options with insurance policies, services from drivers trained in defensive driving, Panapass included, and more competitive rates.
It also notes that other companies could provide armored vehicles with the same features at lower prices, contradicting the OJ’s claim that there are no suitable substitutes.
The vehicle being contracted was an armored Cadillac Escalade , equipped with multi-caliber ballistic protection and run-flat tires, sound and heat insulation, and other features.
The DGCP was emphatic in pointing out that, pursuant to Article 83 of the Public Procurement Law, the application is returned without processing for failing to meet the legal, technical, and appropriateness criteria required for this type of procedure. It also noted that its authority includes returning the documentation when it detects noncompliance that prevents the contract from being approved.
Following the suspension of arbitration proceedings by First Quantum Minerals , the Panamanian government is preparing to take the next step in the evaluation process for the Cobre Panamá mining project.
The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Julio Moltó , confirmed that the framework for a comprehensive audit, developed with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is ready. He assured that every decision will be made transparently and within the framework of the law.
Moltó explained in an interview with La Prensa that, after learning of the withdrawal of the arbitration procedure before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), in addition to the suspension of arbitration within the framework of the Free Trade Agreement by the company First Quantum Minerals , the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, was informed of this decision and now the Panamanian Government will continue with the procedure to carry out the comprehensive audit of the mine.
“The company, as requested by the President of the Republic, suspended the arbitrations. One of them, the ICC arbitration, was definitively canceled and cannot be reopened. The others were suspended, paving the way for the presidential request to engage in dialogue on the matter. That said, we are working on the safe management plan and other aspects that will allow us to move forward, transparently and within the legal framework,” said Moltó, clarifying that they have not yet met with the company.
He previously stated that they hope to conduct the audit to understand not only the project’s environmental impact but also its socioeconomic dimension, thereby gaining a broader view that will allow for a beneficial solution for the country.
He explained that, with the reference framework in place, they are seeking a mechanism to finance the audit through a multilateral organization and proceed with the hiring of the company that will conduct the investigation.
The president of the opposition Panameñista Party, José Isabel Blandón , publicly asked his party’s representatives in the National Assembly not to support the bill seeking to grant political amnesty to people investigated or convicted in emblematic corruption cases.
Through a message posted on the social network X , Blandón wrote:
“ Voting for the amnesty bill is voting for impunity and reiterates to the country that politics is dominated by the corrupt. I ask the Panameñista Caucus not to vote for such an aberration .”
The Colombian Foreign Ministry has not received any official notification regarding President Gustavo Petro ‘s statement about the alleged revocation of his visa by the United States government, according to information revealed by La FM .
This was mentioned on the program “Darcy Quinn’s Secrets,” where they claimed that Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia was the first to be surprised by the head of state’s statement.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombia also indicated that it has no information regarding any visa revocation for the Colombian president.
To date, there has been no formal confirmation from the State Department, headed by Marco Rubio and charged with making these types of decisions, which are typically communicated through an official notification sent to the affected individual or the authorities of the relevant country.
Similarly, when the United States revokes a president’s visa, it publishes the information on the State Department website , especially for serious reasons, such as links to terrorist organizations, drug trafficking, or because the president is considered a direct threat to the country’s interests.
President Petro’s statements were made this Monday, April 21, at the Casa de Nariño, when he announced that he would not be traveling to Washington as he had done on previous occasions.