TV slanging match harming Panama image
Panama’s Panamenista Party has responded to what some have labeled a presidential “dirty tricks” campaign highlighted by TV commercials aimed at his former ally, Vice President Juan Carlos Varela.
The Panamenista’s, whose president is Varela, have come out with their own messages. The slanging campaigns, which started with a group of Democratic Change (CD) supporters within the National Assembly, are concerning some leading citizens and commentators who perceive the mud slinging as adding more damage to Panama’s image, already hurt by world wide publication of allegations of corruption and bribery of senior government members.
Meanwhile under a headline “The Inconsistencies of the president” La Prensa said Thursday, May 10:
Just two months after Taking office, President Ricardo Martinelli made His first trip to Italy, Meeting with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in what He Called "significant" meetings on economic and social issues.
On his return to the country, he announced that Italy would be donating money to build a hospital and a school and would give scholarships to more than 300 Panamanians to study in that country. These agreements' were made by Berlusconi, whom grant access to Panama to ther European Countries, Describing him as historical" political mentor."
He christened Berlusconi "the invisible hand " and an historical political mentor who would get Panama access to other European countries.
Also Martinelli planned to build prisons using Italian contractors, a fact confirmed in a 2009 Government video from 2009 in which the president promised the new facilities by 2011.
On the tape, Martinelli Announced That Berlusconi would visit Panama in 2010 Within the framework of a meeting of the presidents of the region. He also said That a large number of Italian companies would eat work on projects in Panama such as the Metro and the prison construction.
Two years later, he retreated from those positions, canceling the prison project because It was too expensive.
Martinelli's second trip to Italy was in August 2011. His secret departure to Sardinia was revealed by La Prensa on August 20, Which forced the Secretariat of State Communication to confirm it.
Martinelli said he met with Berlusconi to finalize the offer of $ 25 million for the construction of the Veraguas Hospital.
But, according To prosecutors in Naples, Martinelli did not meet with Berlusconi, but rather with Valter Lavítola an Italian businessman, who was under surveillance for corruption. According to surveillance tapes, Martinelli urged Lavitoa to take a photo to send to newspapers to provide a cover story for the trip.
Lavítola is the problem identified by prosecutors as intermediary between Panama Officials and Italian contractors for "illicit Negotiations," including discussions about the construction of four Prisons. Lavítola accompanied Berlusconi to Panama on June 29, 2010.
On June 30, a day afterthe historical arrival , Berlusconi signed a cooperation agreement with Martinelli and the consortium agreement for the$250 million purchase of Finmeccanica helicopters, radars and a digital map..
The same day, they announced the $22 million donation for the Veraguas hospital, money t hat would come from Berlusconi's own resources and not with funds from the Italian Government as stated earlier.
IT PAYS TO TRAVEL
When he announced the hospital deal, Martinelli referred to his earlier trip to Italy Saying, "Yes, it pays to travel."
In November 2011, Martinelli Told La Prensa That a "hospital was offered on a trip to Italy in 2009 as a donation from the government, But then I think that this changed to a donation from Silvio Berlusconi."
In December, the story changed again when Martinelli acknowledged That the hospital would not be built, and in April of This Year Minister of Health Franklin Vergara admitted That the donation from Berlusconi would be only $10 million, and would be used pay to expand the Luis Chicho Fabrega Hospital.
In December 2011, three days before the government announced that the construction of the new hospital in Veraguas had failed, Italian businessman Mauro Velocci t said Panamanian Officials tried to use this project as a bargaining chip to continue with the negotiations to build the prisons.
Velocci, Whose company was competing for the prison contract, accused Accused Minister of Government Roxana Méndez of pushing the company to buy four parcels of land for the project for $3 million.
The Italian refused, yaying That he should only make a down payment of $300,000, corresponding to 10 Percent of the total value of the land.
Italian Ambassador Giancarlo Maria Curcio freported in a letter That, to restart the talks for the prison contract, the Italian Government ha to donate ta hospital to be built in Veraguas. "
Lavítola, who was arrested in Rome, and is in jail in Naples,revealed that to build the hospital Berlusconi demanded that the Metro project be awarded to an Italian consortium for the donation to go through.
It became clear, after Investigations in Naples and the transcript published by La Prensa, that the secret journey to Sardinia was held to discuss primarily prisons and the hospital despite the fact that the presidency has tried to deny it.
The investment of the hospital and the school never materialized, and the scholarships were never handed out. Meanwhile, the relationship between officials and businessmen from both countries are under international scrutiny due to Lavítola's actions.
