Politician convicted of murder gets Panama asylum

AN ECUADORIAN former legislator sentenced to jail for masterminding a triple murder has been granted political asylum in Panama.

Galo Lara, the alleged mastermind of a triple murder in 2011 in Quinsaloma, joins the growing ranks of foreign “political refugees” in Panama whose alleged crimes on home territory range from corruption, theft and illegal wire tapping to human rights abuses and killing.

Ecuador President Rafael Correa on Saturday, August 26, criticized Panama's decision to grant political asylum to the former legislator. "We are worried about the Panamanian people now having a dangerous offender prowling the streets," said the president says the Efe news agency.
Lawyers for Lara, Pedro Granja and Juan Vizueta, confirmed Saturday that the asylum request had been granted.
Lara was sentenced to 10 years in prison in September for the murders that took place on Aug. 4, 2011.
Lara, a member of the opposition, fled to Panama two weeks later. He was initially arrested by Interpol agents, but released.
A delegation from Ecuador traveled to Panama and met with Foreign Minister Fernando Núñez Fábrega to show him the evidence against Lara, but they were not successful in convincing him to grant an extradition request.
Correra denied that Lara is a persecuted politician and expressed solidarity with the families of the victims killed in Quinsaloma.
According to Correa, this is the second time that Lara has fleed from Ecuador after being involved in criminal acts. The first time was in the 1990s when he was accused of rape. He returned when the charges were dropped.