Panama complains to Nicaragua over Martinelli’s activities in the embassy

Panama’s Foreign Ministry called for “attention” to the Nicaraguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs for allowing “the repeated statements and other actions” of former president Ricardo Martinelli, who barricaded himself in the Nicaragua Embassy on February 7, after the Supreme Court) did not admit an appeal against the 128-month jail sentence for money laundering in the New Business case.

In a letter dated  Tuesday, February 27, the Ministry Panama reminds its Nicaraguan counterpart that its diplomatic mission has the “unavoidable responsibility of not allowing the practice of acts contrary to public tranquility” and therefore, to ensure that the conduct of “Mr. Martinelli Berrocal remains within the established limits.”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama rejects the permissive attitude of the head of mission, given the repeated statements and other actions that her guest, Mr. Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal, publicly carries out from the embassy in the Republic of Panama. This, even though other international norms invoked with the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry expressly prohibit this act,” the note reads.

In the document, the Foreign Ministry, headed by Janaina Tewaney, reminds Nicaragua that it “demands” full observance of the call for attention. The document also recalls the functions that the diplomatic mission is called upon to fulfill and safeguard, such as ensuring that the embassy is not used in an “incompatible manner” under the provisions of Article 3 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Foreign Relations.

Intimidating Messages
La Prensa reports that from the Nicaraguan embassy in open violation of international conventions, Martinelli continues to proselytize in the face of the general elections of May 5, 2024.

Day after day he receives his co-partisans, many of whom are part of the electoral offer of his party Realizing Goals (RM) for the May tournament. From the embassy headquarters, , he sends messages with political overtones to his followers; He asks for the vote for José Raúl Mulino, his running mate, and uses social networks without restriction to send intimidating messages to those he considers his adversaries.

candidate of the political pact between RM and Alianza, but on February 3, the Supreme Court announced that the Criminal Chamber did not admit an appeal filed against the conviction for the New Business case. Article 180 of the Constitution says that “anyone who has been convicted of an intentional crime with a custodial sentence of five years or more, through an enforceable sentence issued by a court of justice, cannot be elected president or vice president of the Republic .” Martinelli was sentenced to 10 years and 8 months and  $19.2 million fine.