Use of state assets to support CD candidate decried

THE INDEPENDENT presidential candidate Gerardo Solis and Deputy Jose Luis Varela Panameñista assailed the use of state assets and resources to attack opposition leaders and promote the incumbent presidential candidate, José Domingo Arias.

On December 4, three officials of the National Authority of Land Management ( Anati ) flew by helicopter to properties owned by Solis, Jose Luis Varela , and his brother Juan Carlos , Panameñista – presidential candidate and Juan Carlos Navarro, Democratic Revolutionary Party ( PRD) candidate for the 2014 elections . The pilot of the aircraft confirmed itinerary and added that Anati staff were dedicated to taking photos with sophisticated equipment. Navarro said the unusual flyby was a "political persecution."

José Luis Varela and now Solis said the photographs of their properties , reported in the newspaper Panama America on Tuesday and Wednesday , were taken by the staff in its Anati tour earlier this month.
" Anati took the photos and also took my statement of assets that is with the Comptroller," Solis said.
"Clearly, we are facing an official state campaign promoting Arias. It is a smear campaign . They use state institution resources through Panama America, and the coordinator of all this is [ the president ] Ricardo Martinelli , "said Solis.
Solis predicted that " the state will continue to use their power and money for the campaign of their candidate " as the May 4 elections approach..
Martinlli has already admitted that the daily belongs to him and his family.
José Luis Varela said the flyby by Anati and publication of the photos in the pro-government daily are part of the campaign outlined by Democratic Change ( CD) .
" Panama America is a spokesman for Democratic Change party and campaign José Domingo Arias, who is supposedly the leader of CD for being a presidential candidate ," said the Panameñistas in a press release .
" Panama America, , José Domingo Arias and Avanza Panama are the same ," said Varela.
In the pictures posted the Hacienda San Isidro , owned by the Varela family , like an image taken from the Google Earth application georeference also appears in Pesé .
The use of the material produced by Anati to attack opposition leaders, would be the second time that a State entity was linked to a political campaign against Varela, says La Prensa
In October last year, the former Director of the Ministry of Labour and Workforce Development Team Ada Romero revealed that this institution was used to interview and record several company employees of the Varela brothers. These videos were part of a commercial that rotated on several television developed by Alfredo Prieto, former Secretary of State Communication and today director of Avanza Panama , which supports Arias and the government.