OPINION: A former president’s Parlacen flip-flop

A former president who promised that he would never join the Central American Parliament has broken his promise, because, conveniently, he is seeking a privilege, one that he had discarded… until he found himself indicted in the Odebrecht case. It is ironic since he criticized other politicians for the same action, and now he does exactly the same thing. And no matter how much he tries to justify himself, the effects of being a member of Parlacen are the same for everyone: both for those he criticized and for himself. There’s no difference. On the other hand, Odebrecht, since it set foot in Panama, was the target of public suspicions and criticism – and very justified – but that did not prevent him from receiving money from them, whether for himself or for his party. It also makes no difference who the recipient is: dirty money is dirty money, whoever receives it. But to protect himself He is now seeking a candidacy to be a member of Parlacen, instead of facing the charges against him in ordinary justice. If there was no crime, he would be found not guilty, but otherwise, whether from a circuit court or the Supreme Court, the sentence will be the same. The difference now is that he compromised his word and dishonored himself. That makes him equal to those he criticized so much – LA PRENSA, Oct. 3.