Tourism czars future still up in the air

Confusion reigns over  the future of Panama’s Tourism Director after  “misinterpretation” of remarks by President Ricardo Martinelli.

During the official opening of the second stage of the Cinta Costera on Friday, May 20 Martinelli was quoted as saying that a woman would occupy the post,  which was interpreted as confirmation that one of the heads to roll in his promised cabinet shake up, would be Salomon Shamah, who has lost his visa to the United States and is  accused of links to drug trafficking.

At a recent tearful press conference, Shamah said that  his post was always at the disposal of the president.

But by evening  a statement from President said that the president was misinterpreted and and that Shamah remains at the helm of the tourism authority.

With five weeks to go before the cabinet shuffle, no one is certain of where Shamah stands.

Earlier on Friday there had been widespread speculation that multi-lingual Jaime Figueroa, who has a strong tourism background, and writes regularly on ways of expanding the industry in Panama would be named to the post.

Figuero was educated in Panama, the USA and France and is well respected in the business community.