Panama’s Supreme Court on December 21 has ordered the provisional detention of former President Ricardo Martinelli, who governed the country from 2009 to 2014.
Ricardo Martinelli, 63, is accused of using public funds to illegally spy on more than 150 prominent people.
The fugitive ex-president faces up to 21 years in prison on charges of running an illegal spy ring.
Among those he allegedly spied on are trade union activists, politicians, lawyers, doctors and business people.
Ricardo Martinelli denied the allegations, saying they were part of a vendetta by current President Juan Carlos Varela.
The Supreme Court ordered the arrest because Ricardo Martinelli failed to appear at a hearing earlier this month.
The former president left Panama in January days before the Supreme Court voted in favor of having him investigated over separate corruption allegations.
Ricardo Martinelli is believed to be living in Miami, Florida.
The court did not give any details about how Ricardo Martinelli’s detention would be sought.
On December 21, Ricardo Martinelli tweeted: “First round of the political trial: without having been properly documented, without charges, without proper notification and without sentence, my provisional arrest has been ordered.”
The Supreme Court launched an investigation into the alleged spying ordered by Ricardo Martinelli in June.
It came after dozens of people alleged they had their phones tapped and that the administration of Ricardo Martinelli prepared dossiers against them containing intimate information.
Among the alleged victims are high-ranking members of the opposition Revolutionary Democratic Party, as well as lawmaker Jose Luis Varela, who is the brother of current President Juan Carlos Varela.
Investigators said the wiretaps were carried out by members of Panama’s National Security Council.
Venezuela has broken diplomatic relations and frozen economic ties with Panama, President Nicolas Maduro announced during Hugo Chavez’s first commemoration.
Nicolas Maduro’ decision comes after Panama requested a meeting at the Organization of American States (OAS) to discuss Venezuela’s crisis.
The president was speaking to other Latin American heads of state at events to mark the first anniversary of the death of the Venezualan leader Hugo Chavez.
At least 18 people have died in anti-government protests in the last month.
“I’ve decided to break political and diplomatic ties with the current government of Panama and freeze all trade and economic relations from this moment on,” Nicolas Maduro told the presidents of Cuba, Raul Castro, Uruguay, Jose Mujica, and Bolivia, Evo Morales, among other leaders gathered around the tomb of Hugo Chavez.
Panama’s President Ricardo Martinelli expressed surprise at Venezuela’s decision.
“Panama only hopes that this brother nation finds peace and strengthens its democracy,” Ricardo Martinelli wrote on Twitter.
Nicolas Maduro announced that Venezuela has broken diplomatic relations and frozen economic ties with Panama
Panama’s official statement said the country was “astonished” and called Nicolas Maduro’s words “unacceptable”.
“The measure announced by President Maduro should not become a smoke screen intended to hide reality,” it read.
Earlier, thousands of government supporters and troops took part in a huge parade through central Caracas, commemorating the first anniversary of former President Hugo Chavez’s death.
In other parts of Caracas, anti-government protesters kept up their barricades, despite an appeal made by opposition leaders to “respect” the anniversary.
Last week, the government of Panama requested an urgent meeting of OAS member-states to discuss the unrest in Venezuela.
On Wednesday, the OAS said a meeting would take place the next day behind closed doors to decide whether or not to convene the region’s foreign ministers over the issue.
Nicolas Maduro accused the Panamanian government of conspiring to bring down his government.
“There are moves by the United States government in accord with a lackey government of a right-wing president which has been creating the conditions for the OAS and other bodies to step towards an intervention in our country,” Nicolas Maduro said.
Nicolas Maduro also criticized OAS President Jose Miguel Insulza, who had suggested earlier that a group of observers could be sent to Venezuela – if its government and the opposition found it useful.
Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli has announced his country has seized a North Korean-flagged ship carrying “undeclared military cargo”.
Ricardo Martinelli told local media that the ship, which was sailing from Cuba, contained suspected “sophisticated missile equipment”.
He posted a photo of what looked like a large green object inside a cargo container on his Twitter account.
Ricardo Martinelli said the ship, which was searched on its way into the Panama Canal, was being held for further investigation.
The ship was stopped near Manzanillo on the Atlantic side of the canal.
Ricardo Martinelli said the authorities were checking the ship for drugs when they found the suspected weapons in containers of brown sugar.
Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli said the North Korean ship, which was sailing from Cuba, contained suspected sophisticated missile equipment
“We’re going to keep unloading the ship and figure out exactly what was inside,” he told local media.
The 35-member crew have been detained, including the captain who the Panamanian president said tried to kill himself during the search.
Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino said the ship “aroused suspicion by the violent reaction of the captain and the crew”.
Under UN sanctions, North Korea is banned from weapons exports and the import of all but small arms.
Sanctions were strengthened after its third nuclear test on February 12, including measures increasing states’ authority to inspect suspicious cargo.
In recent years a number of North Korean ships have been searched under the UN sanctions.
In July 2009 a North Korean ship heading to Burma was tracked by the US navy on suspicion of transporting weapons and subsequently turned around.
North Korea has an ongoing missile development programme.
In December it launched what it called a three-stage rocket to put a satellite into space. The move was condemned by the United Nations as a banned test of missile technology.
Experts believe the communist state is working towards developing a nuclear warhead small enough to put on a long-range missile.
Panama’s President Ricardo Martinelli says he cancels plans to sell off state-owned land in the duty-free zone of Colon, after violent protests.
Three people have been killed in the clashes between residents and security forces, local media report.
The protesters said the land sale, signed into law on Friday, would cost jobs and cut incomes.
The Colon region is the biggest duty-free zone in Latin America but is blighted by poverty and crime.
President Ricardo Martinelli had said the sale of the state-owned land would benefit the region.
But late on Tuesday, he said on Twitter: “If the people of Colon don’t want the sale of lands in the Free Trade Zone, the sale will be repealed.”
Ricardo Martinelli said instead, commercial rents would be increased and the money reinvested in the region, as protesters had been demanding.
The president, who is on an official visit to Japan, has come under criticism for not breaking off his trip in the face of the continuing protests.
A 27-year-old woman became the latest person to die on Tuesday, following the death of a man and a nine-year-old boy in clashes over the past five days.
Panama’s President Ricardo Martinelli says he cancels plans to sell off state-owned land in the duty-free zone of Colon, after violent protests
Opponents of the law included trade unions, members of the Colon Chamber of Commerce and a variety of civil society groups.
A government delegation which had travelled to Colon to meet the protesters returned to the capital, Panama City, on Tuesday after the activists refused to talk to them unless the new legislation was repealed.
Colon Chamber of Commerce President Anacleto Ceballos had announced on Tuesday that a 48-hour strike would be extended for another day.
Panama’s economy has boomed in recent years, but sections of the population remain excluded from its commercial success.
The city of Colon – one of the largest free trade ports in the world and in operation since the 1950s – sits at the end of the Panama Canal just outside the former Panama Canal Zone.
The canal, linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, is Panama’s main source of revenue.
[youtube TUqZIpV6exs]
[youtube mkohH9IqGuE]
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
