Mulino Distances Himself From Martinelli

Analysts believe that the elected president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, is distancing himself from his mentor so as not to compromise the image of the country and foreign investments, as well as to create favorable connections with business sectors that once opposed the former president. 

Mulino won the May 5 election driven by the popularity of Ricardo Martinelli, his running mate, but now seems to be distancing himself from the exiled former president weeks after assuming power.  José Raúl Mulino, a 64-year-old lawyer, replaced Martinelli as a candidate of the right-wing party following disqualification due to a sentence of almost 11 years in prison for money laundering.

After promising in the campaign that he would help Martinelli, Mulino now assures that he has “no agreement” with the former president, who has been holed up in the Nicaraguan embassy since February to avoid going to prison.

Despite his judicial troubles, Martinelli enjoys great popularity in Panama, especially among the lower classes who long for the economic prosperity during his government (2009-2014), but he is rejected by business and middle class sectors, who accuse him of corruption.

The opponents of Mulino, who takes office on July 1, think that he will favor the former president with a pardon or safe passage that allows him to go to Nicaragua.