Former Panama President Martín Torrijos Confirmed that the United States has Revoked his Visa
Martín Torrijos Espino, president of the Republic between 2004 and 2009, confirmed that the government of Donald Trump, president of the United States of America (USA), canceled his visa that allowed him to travel to that country.
Panama City, Panama: Former President Martín Torrijos announced Monday June 16 that U.S. authorities canceled his entry visa to the United States, a decision he attributes to his opposition to recent bilateral agreements. The measure also affected former presidential candidate Ricardo Lombana. In a press conference, Torrijos confirmed that he had received official notification of the cancellation of his visa and explained what he believes to be the reasons behind the decision.
“I understand that the granting of a visa is not a right, but rather a sovereign prerogative of each nation. However, having not harmed any person or government, I believe that this decision has only one explanation: Having opposed the Ábrego-Hegseth memorandum of understanding, as well as the Mulino-Hegseth joint declaration and the Icaza-Hegseth declaration,” the former president expressed. For Torrijos, both the memorandum and the statements are “harmful to national sovereignty and violate the neutrality treaty.” He also believes that another situation that led to the revocation of his visa was his signing the public document entitled “National Unity and Defense of Sovereignty.”
The former president interpreted the measure as a broader warning directed at the Panamanian public. “I want to emphasize that this is not just about me, neither personally nor in my capacity as former president of the Republic. It is a warning to all Panamanians: that criticism of the actions of the Government of Panama regarding its relations with the United States will not be tolerated, “he added. Torrijos stated that this situation “contrasts with the fact that, after having resolved the fundamental problems with the United States with the Torrijos-Carter treaties, we are now experiencing a historic setback.”
“If defending my country’s interests and rejecting foreign military presence leads to my visa being revoked, I accept it with pride.” the former president stated.”
Ricardo Lombana Also Affected by the Measure
The visa revocation is not an isolated situation, but has also been extended to former presidential candidate Ricardo Lombana, who confirmed the cancellation of his entry document to the United States. In a statement, Lombana said: “There is something more powerful than the force of any political measure, more lasting than any agreement, more transformative than any speech, and it is the invisible flame that unites us: our values. Values that Panama and the United States have shared for generations, values that speak of democracy, even if imperfect; of freedom, even if it is often difficult; of human dignity, above any ideology, origin or accent.” The political leader considered that the measure affects the exercise of democracy. “For a democracy to prosper, spaces for dissent are fundamental. The unilateral decision to cancel visas is a sovereign power of each state. Today I was informed of the revocation of my US visa, as they have done with other political leaders,” he stated. Lombana added that “a young democracy like ours is doing a disservice when measures like these are used to punish those who dissent from agreements that violate national sovereignty and the permanent neutrality of our Canal.”
The president of the Another Way Movement (MOCA) emphasized that his political commitment remains unchanged. “My vision isn’t limited to promises; it’s based on a genuine aspiration: that every Panamanian feels that their civil rights and political freedoms don’t depend on the color of their party, the weight of their last name, or the place where they were born, but on their very condition as a human being.” On April 30, a group of politicians and civil society representatives signed the document entitled “National Unity and Defense of Sovereignty,” rejecting the agreements signed by the governments of Panama and the United States regarding the Panama Canal and its adjacent areas. The announcement was made during a press conference where the manifesto was read. At the main table were various political figures, including former President Martín Torrijos and former presidential candidate Ricardo Lombana, both of whom subsequently had their US visas revoked.
