There would be the usual trite explanations, one of which might be true. It is, however, puzzling that Nicaragua’s leftist strongman Daniel Ortega took in a capitalist sticky-fingers like Ricardo Martinelli. Photo by Ismael Francisco/ Cubadebate.
The diplomatic albatross around Panama’s neck
President Mulino has flown away to France to meet President Macron and convince him that European financial sanctions against Panama on “soft on money laudering” allegations are unjustified.
The thing is, the leader of Mulino’s party stole more than $70 million from the Panamanian people, laundered it by purchasing a newspaper chain, was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison and the surrender of what he stole. The appeals process has been exhausted and the verdict and sentence have been upheld. Yet here is Ricky Martinelli holed up in the Nicaraguan Consulate and so far he has been able to keep what he stole.
Mulino is thus in a terrible position to argue the point that he’s trying to make. Threats of retaliatory sanctions by little Panama would not make much of an impression.
Perhaps the easy way, the path of least resistance, is to accede to Nicaragua’s request to give Martinelli safe passage to Managua and thereafter say that all things Martinelli are Danny Ortega’s problem.
VOTE!
US citizens living in Panama have the right, but time is short.
Bob Marley in 1978. Hulton Archive/Getty Images.
They would do anything
To materialize their every wish.
But woe to the downpressors
They’ll eat the bread of sorrow!
Bob Marley
Bear in mind…
Every human being on this earth is born with a tragedy, and it isn’t original sin. He’s born with the tragedy that he has to grow up. That he has to leave the nest, the security, and go out to do battle. He has to lose everything that is lovely and fight for a new loveliness of his own making, and it’s a tragedy. A lot of people don’t have the courage to do it.
Helen Hayes
Life is a foreign language; all men mispronounce it.
Christopher Morley
I got kicked out of ballet class because I pulled a groin muscle. It wasn’t mine.
Rita Rudner
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