President denies being booed by soccer crowd

During Panama’s Jazz Festival,mayor Bosco Vallarino was roundly booed by the crowd. President Ricardo Martinelli denied media reports that he had suffered the same fate when appeared at a charity soccer game featuring Argentinian  super star Lionel Messi.

 "I was not at the game," Martinelli told two television stations to dispel rumors that he had got the raspberry from the crowd. on Thursday. The president said that he didn’t even have a ticket to attend the game.

Martinelli came under strong criticism when he announced that he would attend the final of the World Cup in South Africa. He later cancelled that trip so that he could address the problems between police and demonstrators in Bocas del Toro.

When the media began reporting that he had received a hostile reaction at Wednesday’s game, he called two television stations to deny thoereports.

"This was not a game, it was a show for those who wanted to see Messi," the president said.