Panama denies U.S. pressure over Venezuela

PANAMA’S President Ricardo Martinelli, denied Friday, via his Twitter account, that he succumbed to U.S. pressure over Venezuela, and said he just wants to promote peace.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was quoted as saying in a press conference that "Panama its leader are acting under pressure,"

"We are not enemies of the people or Venezuelan government, we just want to help them find peace," Martinelli said on Twitter " .
Madurosaid Friday that the rulers of Chile , Sebastián Piñera , Panama , Ricardo Martinelli , and Colombia , Juan Manuel Santos, yielded to U.S. pressure and he asked them not to join the attack on Latin American unity by lunging against his country.
" The right of Latin America has aligned itself against the Government of Venezuela , President Piñera of Chile , President Santos of Colombia , President Martinelli of Panama , the three of them have succumbed to pressure from the State Department and have launched against Venezuela , and I have answered them," Maduro said in a press conference .
Panama 's Foreign Minister , Francisco Alvarez de Soto , denied Thursday that Panama was involved in “ political interference" and said it has simply called " respectful " dialogue and understanding in Venezuela .
Venezuela recalled its ambassador to Panama for consultations and Panama responded immediately by calling its ambassador in Caracas, Pedro Pereira, to come to Panama City on an unspecified date to "discuss the situation with him and the contents of the Maduro statement" Alvarez De Soto said.
Speaking to local television the minister noted that Panama, “like many other countries" has issued statements on simply calling for” a very respectful dialogue and understanding among parties".