Team Martinelli defend president in U.S. comments scandal

Members of President Martinelli’s inner circled rushed to defend him as the scandal caused by the revelation of comments of the former U.S. ambassador in Panama spread around the world.

The day after the publication of secret documents in the New York Times and elsewhere, in which Barbara Stephenson had made strong comments about Martinelli and said he had asked for U.S. assistance in wire tapping political opponents, Panama’s tourism administrator, Colombian born Salomón Shamah. jumped into the fray.

He said on TVN Noticias,that Stephenson’s comments were   "derogatory" and "disrespectful" and they showed she harbored animosity towards the president.
 "The ambassador wanted to impose her views and the President stood firm," said Shamah, who claimed Stephenson was enraged. "She did not agree with the appointment of Gustavo Perez as head of the National Police, but Martinelli said that was an executive decision".
Minister of the Presidency, Jimmy Papadimitriu took the same line in criticizing  Stephenson's comments and said  the Government would not respond.
Papadimitriu said on Telemetro Report, that more than 250 000 cables were being  leaked by Wikileaks, of which 900 related to Panama.
 Of those 900, only 100 relate to the administration of Martinelli and 800 from the past government of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, said the minister.
 He said  that the publication of these cables could last from one to two years, and the Government will not answer any. {jathumbnail off}