The Most Popular Politician in Panama – Ricardo Martinelli Continues to Hold Strong Ground in the Polls
Despite being in isolation, Martinelli has not lost his popularity, as reflected in a survey.
Since May 10, former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) has been seeking asylum in Colombia after leaving the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama, where he had been a refugee since February 2024. However, despite being in asylum, the former president has not lost popularity, as reflected in a survey conducted by Arca Media, which presented a list of names of some Panamanian politicians to determine how well the public knew them and whether or not they liked their character. Ricardo Martinelli leads this list, meaning he was the most popular, with 97% of respondents saying they know him and 54% positively sympathize with him.
He is followed by former presidents Martín Torrijos, Laurentino Cortizo, and Juan Carlos Varela. “Now many understand how and why my beloved haters are seething with rage that, even though he’s in political exile, or rather, politically exiled, I’m still the one with the highest political acceptance in all of Panama,” Martinelli explained. Additionally, the survey mentions politicians Ricardo Lombana, Juan Diego Vásquez, and José Isabel Blandón, who, according to the survey, did not enjoy much popularity, placing at the bottom of the list. Meanwhile, union leader Saúl Méndez came in last in the survey, with only 8% saying he was a positive person. Among the political parties, Realizando Metas is the one with which respondents identify most, at 14%, followed by the PRD at 10%.
According to a survey by Arca Media, former President Ricardo Martinelli enjoys a 97% popularity rating; furthermore, 54% of those surveyed said they perceive him as a positive person.
