EDITORIAL:

The President of the Supreme Court of Panama (Maria Eugenia López) continues to appear to be doing everything within her power and beyond to keep Ricardo Martinelli (RM) from running and becoming the next President of Panama (Does that sound familiar)?   In my homeland to the North there is a similar situation with a past President Donald J. TRUMP whose political allies and the press along with several democratic states are trying to keep him from running.  In the US you’ve got adverse political agendas and attorney generals trying to prosecute and use their power as leverage to both keep him from running and simultaneously attempting to ruin his chances by diminishing his popularity.  The second part has actually worked against his opposers.   They’ve made TRUMP a martyr and his base is rallying to support him more than ever.   In Panama the difference is it’s not the press or procurador’s that are trying to cling to anything possible to secure and indictment.   Here it’s the President of the Supreme Court that is disregarding the law and acting in lockstep with Baloisa Marquinez who was the lower court judge that pulled out all stops and rewrote the definition of money laundering.  Some might even go as far as to say that judge Baloisa Marquinez wiped her ASS with the Penal Code of Panama.   She’s broke all protocols and wielded her power to prevent Panama’s by far leading candidate and who is nearly 40 points ahead in all of the polls so he cannot run.  Lower court judges everywhere all over the world make mistakes and often break their oaths to protect and serve the legal system.   In other words what she did is not unheard of.  She’s not the first and won’t be the last but what’s scary is that The Supreme Court led by Maria Eugenis López is following suit. 

Martinelli (RM) has been Persecuted now for nearly 10 years.  Whether you love him or hate you can’t deny he isn’t going down without a fight!   Fighting both for his own freedom and Liberty but also for his country and the people.  He can often be heard in his battle cries saying if they can do this to me imagine what they can do to you!  The average person without resources.   The Judicial System in Panama has clearly become weaponized first by Varela and now by the current “Gover-Nito”.   The discussions in coffee shops and behind closed doors is there’s 3 reasons why “they” are doing this to him.  1.  There is a long standing personal alleged family relationship between PRD candidate Gaby Carrizo and Maria Eugenis López.   It’s being said deals have be made so that with him (RM) not running the very unpopular Carrizo would stand a chance to be elected not based on popularity but based on dividing the votes and hopefully enough PRD die hards will support Carrizo allowing him to win by a small margin with no Martinelli (RM) as the balance of the candidates all have slim followings.   2.  Fear of retribution.   There is the fear that Martinelli (RM) will go after Nito, his family members and Gaby and his purported corrupt cabinet members using the full power of the system once in place to go on a “witch hunt” and get his vengeance.    Finally, 3.  The fear that lower level judges who have already ruled against him would become targets of his vengeance as well.  So in their minds they’re actually doing “what’s best for the country”.   That’s what’s discussed in the coffee shops as locals in the know whisper and make their own suppositions.   I can say without a doubt what’s best for the country is that the law is respected.  For better or worst the law must prevail.  

What is crystal clear is they have not respected Martinelli’s (RM) rights.  They have chosen whether he is indeed guilty or not to “Fast Track” his entire process.   As someone that has lived here for over two decades I can attest that the court system in this case of Martinelli (RM) and New Business has moved faster the Usain Bolt running in the Olympics.  This is the type of stuff that in a free and democratic country would create civil unrest.  Anyone remember the storming of Capital hill?   Historically, I would say Panamanians typically will stand by quickly and eat the shit they’re being served up.   They may say this smells like shit and tastes like shit but they’ve been accustomed to hold their noses and eat what they’re being served up like it or not.   I’m not so sure that’ll be the case this time.   Recently, twice in the last year the population has seen the fruits of standing up and saying enough is enough.   Nito and his Vice President Carrizo ended up folding especially on the mining contract.  To that I say way to go Panamanian’s.   Look at the power you have in numbers when you grow a set balls!   Time will tell if they storm the Supreme Court when they condemn Martinelli (RM).   If they do or they don’t I expect they come out in record numbers at the polls in support of Martinelli (RM) ad hoc by voting for Joe Raul Molino (JRM).  

They found him (RM) innocent twice on his pinchazos case which was also an unprecedented violation of the law of Double Jeopardy.  Love him or hate him this is both unreal and should scare the shit out of any Panamanian.  Selective justice doesn’t work and can’t be tolerated in a truly democratic nation where above all else the law must be the rule and upheld. 

This is not speculation it was Declared under Oath by the Fiscalias (DA’s) own Financial Investigators that the monies he used for “New Business” were not illicit or I’ll gotten gains. 

IMO this sets a very scary precedent for Panama.  Martinellis Vice President candidate is Jose Raul Mulino(JRM)  as mentioned above.   A politician who has and solid track record in Panama’s political “Game of Thrones”.  He is a respected lawyer an a man who has held multiple positions in several different administrations. 

Now what do I good ole’ JB know about the future?   Not enough to bet the farm on but I would make a large wager that if the Supreme Court does what it appears they’re going to do, lead by Maria Eugenia Lopez we will likely have Jose Raul Mulino (JRM) as the next President after the upcoming elections.  I believe much like in 🇺🇸 this persecution will backfire and voters will rally behind Mulino (JRM) to show their desire for Martinelli (RM).   I expect he’s the next President of Panama.  I also think he’s going to pardon Martinelli and good ole Ricardo will soon be the Minister of The Presidency and right hand of Mulino (JRM) for the next 5 years and then (RM) will become President again 5 years later in 2029.   If so good luck and god’s help you to all of those who have conspired against him. 

As those in the Goverment right now who are using all their Infuence so Martinelli (RM) is barred from running my advice is if I were you I wouldn’t put him jail.  I’d run him over and bury him alive.  Then I’d dig him up and run over him again drop him on the bottom of the Bay of Panama, because if you leave him alive with a breath in his body you’ll likely live to regret it.   So my prediction is the following it’s either Mulino (JRM) for the next 5 years and Martinelli (RM) for the next 5 after or Panama is going to the left and those leading the left they’ll need to keep it there.   Because if they don’t go and stay left then nobody will be safe in politics.  Panama then becomes the next Venezuela or Nicaragua and my wife and I will be picking up and packing up on our way to Ecuador or El Salvador where foreign investment and seguridad jurídica seem to by on the rise while here in Panama both seem to be plummeting like an asteroid down to earth at the speed of light.   Time will tell and Caveat Emptor to those on both sides of this dark curtain.   One thing is for sure every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  

Saludos y Hasta la Vista!

JB Bryson “Editor in Chief” Panama Now Online and 22 year resident in Panama.