US Ambassador holds out hope for Felix Maduro

ONCE THE CHAINS linking Panama’s 139 years old Felix B Maduro department store  to Abdul Waked are broken, it may be able  leave the Clinton List of activities linked to money laundering and drug trafficking.

That’s the hope of John Feeley US ambassador to  Panama,expressed  Friday, June 3 in an interview with radio station La Exitosa.

“There is a transparent process that those involved in the list may take action to rectify the situation,” On Wednesday, the United States Department of the Treasury, through its Bureau of Foreign Assets (OFAC), endorsed a series of actions that will allow Felix B. Maduro to “break the ownership and control links” with Waked said Feeley

“It’s the first time in the history of the OFAC we have established and accepted a Trust to make the transfer,” said the ambassador.

“As the minister [Dulcidio De La Guardia] aid, the decision is in the hands of Mr. Abdul Waked. I wish him to take actions so  their employees or former employees can  continue working in the  future with dignity in Panama,” he said.

He was also satisfied because Mawa Enterprises Corp., a company with operations in the Colon Free Zone (CFZ), was withdrawn from the Clinton List on Friay , “because they have removed the links they had with the group Waked and th  , United States acknowledges that they have no problem to access the US financial banking system. “

Feeley also lamented the “uncertainty” that  Waked workers are currently enduring.

“There are  always employees who pay the piper of heads. I cannot tell you how many times I have spoken with President [Juan Carlos Varela], with ministers who are on the committee, to try to find the formula to protect most of theworkers. I’m not going to cover the sun with my finger and say it will be possible to preserve all jobs, “he said.

Feeley  stressed that the actions undertaken by OFAC are not the product of a “whim”.

“We do not take these actions because we are imperialist gringos with fangs in a distant country. We take those actions simply to protect our families in the United States, who do not want their banking system exposed to money from drug money laundering”.