© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Panama’s former President Ricardo Martinelli addresses the media, accompanied by his lawyer Shirley Castaneda, after submitting a grievance with the Normal Secretariat of the Nationwide Meeting to analyze Panamanian President Laurentino Cortiz
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) -Panama denied a request from Nicaragua to permit secure passage for ex-President Ricardo Martinelli to depart the nation, the international ministry mentioned in a press release on Friday, after Nicaragua granted asylum to the previous Panamanian chief.
Martinelli is a declared presidential candidate in Panama’s upcoming Could election, however an almost 11-year jail sentence handed down final 12 months for cash laundering has solid doubt on his means to run for his outdated job.
The combative former chief moved to Nicaragua’s embassy after Panama’s high courtroom rejected an attraction to annul the sentence.
Panama’s structure bars anybody sentenced to a jail time period of 5 years or extra from serving as president, though electoral authorities haven’t introduced any disqualification of candidates.
Panama’s international ministry urged Nicaragua to keep away from exceeding its capabilities, including that any motion or declaration Martinelli makes from the embassy that impacts Panama’s home coverage shall be seen as interference and have diplomatic penalties.
Hours after Panama’s assertion, Nicaragua reaffirmed the asylum it granted to Martinelli, saying it was given for humanitarian causes as a result of the previous president considers himself politically persecuted.
Martinelli has publicly mentioned he considers his life to be in peril in Panama.
“Failure to acknowledge asylum and to disclaim secure conduct is a violation of the Conventions on Asylum,” Nicaragua’s international ministry mentioned in its personal assertion.
Martinelli’s operating mate, vice presidential hopeful Jose Raul Mulino, wrote on X that he sees a world battle coming between the 2 nations, noting that any asylum resolution needs to be taken by the nation it’s directed at.
Earlier on Friday, senior U.S. diplomat Brian Nichols described Nicaragua’s resolution to grant asylum to Martinelli as undermining the rule of regulation.