Former President Martinelli living the good life in Miami
Bill Faries Blake Schmidt look into what has happened to former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli in Miami’s ‘Scarface’ Pad Has New Resident: A Billionaire Ex-President in Exile with Bloomberg. Martinelli has had a rather rapid fall from grace these last few years. He remained one of Latin America's more popular leaders through the first half of his term in office as he push through the modernization of Panama's infrastructure, including the Canal and the Metro. Panama enjoyed impressive growth rates and was an up and comer in Latin America. What ever happened to the three P's - Panama, Paraguay, and Peru?
Early on in his term one could see that his thin skin did not make for good politics. He asked the US for help spying on his internal enemies. Fortunately, the US did not go along. He attacked the media and others who criticized his government.
However, it is the corruption scandals at home that have made Panama's wealthiest men (one of?) persona non grata in his home country. The billionaire is accused of receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks on several of the infrastructure projects that he oversaw and from the country's food assistance program to the poor. It is possible that investigations underway in Italy and Brazil will help Panamanian investigations move forward.
Martinelli claims that the charges are simply part of a political vendetta. I think that is one of the benefits of CICIG in Guatemala. While some on the right tried to accuse former Attorney General Paz y Paz of having a left-wing agenda, their cries fell on deaf ears. CICIG provided protection from charges of political vendettas. It's not as if the right still doesn't belief that the investigations were politically motivated, it is that few Guatemalans outside of them do.
In El Salvador, Attorney General Martinez has brought corruption charges linked to ARENA politicians in the Flores case, Romero Boulevard, and CEL-ENEL. I wouldn't call Martinez a friend of the FMLN, except as his inaction helps them, but the longer these charges drag on with no progress and no end in sight, more people inside and outside the country are going to ask questions.
Bloomberg ends with Martinelli contemplating another run for the presidency. Stranger things have happened.
Early on in his term one could see that his thin skin did not make for good politics. He asked the US for help spying on his internal enemies. Fortunately, the US did not go along. He attacked the media and others who criticized his government.
However, it is the corruption scandals at home that have made Panama's wealthiest men (one of?) persona non grata in his home country. The billionaire is accused of receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks on several of the infrastructure projects that he oversaw and from the country's food assistance program to the poor. It is possible that investigations underway in Italy and Brazil will help Panamanian investigations move forward.
Martinelli claims that the charges are simply part of a political vendetta. I think that is one of the benefits of CICIG in Guatemala. While some on the right tried to accuse former Attorney General Paz y Paz of having a left-wing agenda, their cries fell on deaf ears. CICIG provided protection from charges of political vendettas. It's not as if the right still doesn't belief that the investigations were politically motivated, it is that few Guatemalans outside of them do.
In El Salvador, Attorney General Martinez has brought corruption charges linked to ARENA politicians in the Flores case, Romero Boulevard, and CEL-ENEL. I wouldn't call Martinez a friend of the FMLN, except as his inaction helps them, but the longer these charges drag on with no progress and no end in sight, more people inside and outside the country are going to ask questions.
Bloomberg ends with Martinelli contemplating another run for the presidency. Stranger things have happened.
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