Colombia Grants Asylum to Ex-Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli

Former President of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli, has been granted asylum in Colombia after a turbulent year spent at a Nicaraguan embassy, following legal battles over money laundering charges.

In a recent development, the Colombian government announced that it has granted asylum to Ricardo Martinelli, the former president of Panama, who had been in hiding for over a year within the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama City. This decision was made public in a statement from Colombia’s Foreign Ministry, which explained that arrangements had been made for Mr. Martinelli to travel from the embassy to an airport via diplomatic transport.

At 73 years old, Martinelli took to social media to confirm his arrival in Bogotá, declaring that he received political refugee status after the asylum was granted. Martinelli’s legal plight traces back to 2023 when he was convicted of money laundering, linked to funds allegedly acquired from government contractors to finance the 2010 purchase of a publishing house. Consequently, he faced a 10-year prison sentence and a hefty $19 million fine. The Supreme Court of Panama upheld this sentencing after an appeal.

Despite his legal issues, Martinelli asserted that the charges against him were politically orchestrated. Following his conviction, he was granted asylum by Nicaragua, leading him to take refuge in the embassy, where he had set up a livable space, complete with furniture and his pet dog, Bruno. Initially intending to campaign for the presidency of Panama in the May 2024 elections while being housed in the embassy, circumstances shifted dramatically when Panama’s electoral tribunal ruled him ineligible to run due to his criminal conviction. As a result, Martinelli's running mate, José Raúl Mulino, assumed his position on the ballot and capitalized on Martinelli's legacy during the campaign, ultimately winning the election decisively.

The evolving situation around Martinelli not only highlights the complexities of political asylum in Latin America but also underscores ongoing concerns regarding the intersection of politics and justice in the region.