Latin America’s  Presidential Hall of Shame

Former president Ricardo Martinelli facing trial for allegedly spying on about 150 of his fellow citizens during his government, (2009-2014), could face  21 years in prison for four crimes, which include violation of privacy and crimes against the public administration. He forms part of a band of leaders in a Latin  America nominated to a  Presidential  Hall of Shame.

Martinelli has also been investigated for multiple corruption scandals during his administration, and a dozen of his ministers were temporarily arrested and let out on bail. Despite this, the party he created nominated him to run for mayor of Panama City and deputy of the 8-8 circuit, for the parties Cambio Democrático and Alianza, for the general elections on May 5.

So far, Martinelli, extradited by the US in June last year,  can only be investigated for the wiretapping case, but Panama and the US are negotiating e exceptions to the principle of specialty, which until now prevents him the former president from being prosecuted for other cases, while his two sons Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares are facing extradition from   the United States for their  supposed connection with the bribes of Odebrecht.

The case of former Peruvian President Alan García. who committed suicide while facing arrest is the latest in a series of corruption investigations involving former Latin American presidents. several related to the Brazilian company Odebrecht.nd some are already imprisoned. Panama has its own list of suspects among Panama’s elite   In Peru, former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (PPK) is in preliminary detention as part of an investigation into the alleged crime of money laundering in the Odebrecht scandal.

On Wednesday, April 17, PPK was hospitalized in the wake of a blood pressure crisis…  

Also in Peru,   The Office of the Prosecutor is following follows the trail of $20 million that former President Alejandro Toledo received. from Odebrecht  Currently, Toledo resides in the United States, although Peru has requested his extradition. Former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala was also imprisoned for nine months between 2017 and 2018 for allegedly receiving $3 million Odebrecht for his election campaign and is awaiting prosecution.

In Brazil, former President Michel Temer was jailed after being accused of leading a criminal organization that received bribes in exchange for favoring companies already condemned by the Lava Jato scandal in illicit contracts with the state company Eletronuclear.

Former President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sentenced to 12 years and 11 months in prison for corruption and money laundering in a second case.  The leader of the Workers’ Party (PT) was is already serving a 12-year sentence for similar charges in another case that is also part of the Lava Jato investigation.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner The former president of Argentina faces several investigations into corruption. Your status as a senator grants immunity.

Otto Pérez Molina: The Guatemalan president resigned four months before the end of his term for a customs fraud scandal and is in preventive detention, waiting to be tried. His former vice president, Roxana Baldetti, is also in jail.

Álvaro Colom: The former president of Guatemala is accused of corruption in a transportation model implemented in his government (2008-2012). Before him, President Alfonso Portillo (2000-2004) had been imprisoned for corruption.

Rafael Callejas: The former Honduran president pleaded guilty in 2016 to conspiracy for organized crime and electronic fraud at Fifagate.

Alberto Fujimori of Peru appropriated $15 million dollars from the national coffers to deliver them to his former advisor, Vladimiro Montesinos. He was condemned to imposed 7 years and 6 months for this  The Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office opened in 2018 an investigation against the former president Rafael Correa for “organized crime” in the Odebrecht case, but he is self-exiled in Belgium.