Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli Shared a Message on Social Media

Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli shared a message on social media filled with criticism and reflection, referring to the departure of “Chen Chen” and his political exile to Nicaragua, which would mark a change in the country’s political and media dynamics.  “How crazy! There comes the new song or the slogan: ‘Chen Chen is leaving, Chen Chen is leaving and he’s going to Nicaragua to later return,'” he says in the first lines of his message.  In his message, Martinelli wonders what the media and critics, whom he calls “haters,” will do now with his departure: “What will my beloved haters of the so-called information media do now?

Their scapegoat for all the problems is gone, the dirty rag responsible for all the growing citizen dissatisfaction, stoppages, strikes, high cost of living, lack of medicines, unemployment, low wages, corruption, political intrigue, the inventor and responsible for his ineptitudes for everything bad, the culprit of everything, etc.”  He added: “How boring must these repetitive opinion programs be, with only the same boring and biased opinion-ators. I recommend they reinvent themselves and start being objective, or social media will eat them alive.” 

In the final part of his message, he expressed that, in the meantime, he will be enjoying his time in Nicaragua, with his pet Bruno, in a peaceful environment in his Nicaraguan hammock, getting to know all of Nicaragua and enjoying that beautiful and great country, populated by noble, healthy and good people. Former President Ricardo Martinelli accepted the safe conduct granted by the National Government to travel today, Monday, as a political asylum seeker to Nicaragua.

Martinelli’s spokesman, Luis Eduardo Camacho, confirmed that the former president will leave the country today, after noon, so there is expectation about his departure from the Nicaraguan Embassy.  Several vehicles with diplomatic license plates arrived at the Nicaraguan embassy to join the transport convoy. “Yesterday, the diplomatic unrest that arose after the police director referred to a supposed red flag, which everyone was later able to confirm never existed, must have been resolved,” Camacho said.  Martinelli was granted asylum in the Nicaraguan Embassy in Panama, in the La Alameda sector, since February 7, 2024 and has been living there with his dog Bruno.