Ricardo Martinelli will Remain in Panama: Nicaragua is not Responding to his Transfer

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that it has not had a response from the Nicaraguan authorities so that former President Ricardo Martinelli can move to their country. Given this situation, no extension was granted to the second safe conduct that was issued and the former president will remain in asylum in the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama.

President José Raúl Mulino stated that Nicaragua “has not asked for anything” to grant political asylum to former President Ricardo Martinelli, thus denying any “blackmail” mentioned by Nicaraguan co-president Rosario Murillo, pictured above. Murillo has accused Panama of blocking the election of the former Nicaraguan foreign minister as the new secretary general of the Central American Integration System (SICA). President Mulino explained that the vote for the SICA president took place at the end of last year, and Panama, along with other countries in the region, voted against the proposal. However, Mulino stated that this did not imply a blockade of Nicaragua and urged them to present new information. “We don’t support the motion at this time, as can happen in any international forum. And in Central America, consensus is used, which is a reverse veto,” Mulino said.

According to the president, the recognized asylum generates a safe-conduct permit, which then leads to territorial asylum for Martinelli. He added that asylum was not defined by Panama, but rather it is up to the isolating state to decide whether or not it is political. Since the safe-conduct was issued, the Nicaraguan government has formally requested information from Interpol and Supreme Court documents, which have been provided, Mulino explained. The head of the Executive also stated that Nicaragua did not make a final decision regarding Martinelli’s transfer, which prevented the plane from taking off from Panama, as must be done in accordance with international law.