Thumbs up for Martinelli asylum decision

President Ricardo Martinelli’s whose drop in approval ratings continues to fall at home, got a thumbs up from  a group of  newspaper publishers on Saturday, February 18, after Panama granted political asylum to an Ecuadorian journalist.

The Ecuadorian Association  of Newspaper Publishers (AEDEP) announced that it will be  sending  a letter to Martinelli expressing appreciation for granting diplomatic asylum to Carlos Perez, the editor of El Universo.   Perez, with his brothers Nicholas and Caesar, and the former editor of the newspaper Emilio Palacio were prosecuted for libel against President  Rafael Correa,  

In a letter provided to news agency Efe, AEDEP said ”The international community" considers the case … a serious injury to fundamental freedoms, limited by legal and constitutional guarantees in our country." It added that  Panama “recognized a political dimension that explains the diplomatic asylum, beyond the absurd and unconstitutional process followed in the Ecuadorian courts against the directors of the newspaper and Palacio.

 On Thursday, February 16,after meeting the foreign press about Martinelli's decision, Correa said, he would “have to talk to Ricardo, about his decision, Panama is a sovereign country. It is a surprise to us, but we respect his decision.”

Perez is in exile in the Panamanian Embassy in Quito waiting for approval for  a pass to leave the country.  The Coordinator General Counsel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Marco Albuja said in a statement that "there is no impediment to leave Ecuador or transit through its territory." 
Martinelli, a frequent critic of Panama’s media, has frequently referred to his friendship with Ecuador’s right wing president.