Martinelli’s Conviction is a Mortal Blow to Democracy

Representative Mayín Correa boldly states that the conviction of former President Ricardo Martinelli constitutes a low and mortal blow that the economic and political powers have dealt to the country’s democratic institutions. Through a statement, Correa expressed that disqualifying Martinelli, to prevent him from participating in the presidential elections on May 5th 2024 is to restrict the aspiration of Panamanians who want a change to improve their lives. “Martinelli is the favorite candidate and has the majority support of the voters to emerge as a winner,” she said. The representative highlighted that in the United States, the cradle of Western democracy, the US Supreme Court decided to reinstate former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) in the Republican primary process for the November elections. “This legal precedent is based on the fact that the electoral rights of a citizen to elect and be elected to a popularly elected position cannot be violated and that politics should not interfere in elections”.