by James “JB” Bryson– So, if you read past archives of post and news articles that we disseminated, I make it abundantly clear that in my time in Panama I have had issues with FORMER President VARELA.

I really don’t give a shit if people agree with me or not, because it is an opinion. One I am free to both share, and also have people disagree with. I worked in somewhat of a government capacity in my former life, as I dealt heavily with customs. In my work I was able to come to Panama often and realized I would retire here.

I am also coming from a country in the US that knows a thing or two about “mud-slinging” and disingenuous politics. My current leader can boast the following,…..”You can grab them by the pussy”, had his lawyer pay hush money to a Porn star, has been rumored to have been involved in a certain “pool party” in Russia, and now has had one of his Mar a’ Lago billionaire buddies ( with the help of his current standing Labor Secretary ) be arrested by the FBI under the charges of running a child sex ring for years that was swept under the rug with the help of his ultra rich friends.

(I pasted FOX link to avoid “fake news” bias.)

https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-arrested-for-sex-trafficking-of-minors-source

https://www.foxnews.com/us/billionaire-jeffrey-epstein-due-in-federal-court-after-sex-trafficking-arrest

So why am I prefacing this?……..I am doing so because I have often wrote and opined on the same transparent bullshit that I have seen with Varela. And it seems that it has resonated with more than a few Panamanians.

The following was sent to PNO.com via email from one of our avid readers. This is just one Panamanian view of another, but seeing as he tied it into another huge issue of mine (Odebrecht), I found it to be more than interesting reading. He doesn’t mind his name mentioned, but I hide regardless. It was sent in Spanish, but I asked him to write in English as I did not want to leave editing in the hands of “Google Translate”.

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Hello JB

I was happy to read you post yesterday about our favorite person. https://panamanowonline.com/op-ed-varela-using-his-last-week-to-continue-hypocritical-pursuit-of-martinelli-clan/

I was like you, happy to see La Prensa cover the connection between Varela and Odebrecht with the attention it should have been receiving. I kept telling my brother “why is a ‘gringo” on a website the only person that sees what we see?”. JB you are spot on about Varela. Only person online saying so. Like I told you in my other emails, I have known since the first day, the hypocritical ways of Varela. My brother even more so. We used to be strong and vocal supporters of the CD party, but then all changed.

If you look around online now JB, you will see a few things happening. The first is we are past July 1st, so Varela officially has as much power in Panama today as you or me. Maybe even less. The second thing is that Martinelli is now on house arrest and free to be un-muzzled after all the persecution he and his family have been through.

Like you, my family does not think Ricardo Martinelli is a saint. I don’t think anyone is politics is a saint. But my father and grandfather feel that Martinelli was able to galvanize and bring together the people. We feel there may be truth to claims against him and his family, but we KNOW that Varela is not an innocent bystander. Look around online JB, you will see what is happening.

Suddenly the shades are being pulled. I remember when you showed the pictures of Varela with all of the despot and communist rulers of the world, and then showed him shaking hands with Pope during WYD. He is a self reported Opus Dei Catholic. Which makes the stance he takes in public even more crazy.

Look at these pictures JB.

Then you have the issue I have wrote you about. The claims of bribes against the Martinelli family, all the while he has managed to claim to be squeaky clean.

My brother keeps digging for this stuff and coming up with gold. I told you what my brother does, and you are aware his source is credible.

The saying is the “devil you know is better than the devil you don’t”. Maybe Ricardo is not a perfect person. The thing is, as a Panamanian, I never recall him ever purporting to be. He just said he was a good leader that loved Panama. Of that he was. Is he a good husband?….don’t know. Did he has ladies on the side? I would bet my ass he did. Did he take money and bribes?, the courts will decide.

But what he was NOT is a transparent and self righteous liar that is willing to throw anybody, including his party, completely on the floor to get what he wanted, The Varela Era is over, and hopefully now the truth will appear.

XXXXXXX XXXXX ( Pedasi, Panama)