Vice Mayor of Panama Roberto Ruiz Díaz was informed this week by the U.S. Embassy in Paraguay that his visa has been revoked. Despite the notification, Ruiz Díaz downplayed the incident, stating that he encountered no issues during his recent trip to Los Angeles, California, from November 5th to 11th. According to Ruiz Díaz, the embassy communicated the visa revocation in a message received this Friday. It is also reported that both national and international airlines have been notified of the revocation, and that the decision is "final and not appealable." The embassy notified him that he must present his visa at the consular section of the embassy on November 26th for its physical cancellation. Additionally, he was given the opportunity to discuss his case directly with consular authorities. The document, signed by the embassy, clarifies that whether the visa is physically returned or not, "it has been legally revoked" and can therefore no longer be used to enter the United States. Nevertheless, he is offered the possibility of applying for a new visa in the future, though without guarantees of approval. Regarding the reasons for the revocation, Ruiz Díaz stated that the measure is linked to his critical stance regarding the memorandum of understanding signed between Panama and the United States. The suspended Vice Mayor had previously expressed his disagreement with the agreement, although it had been clarified beforehand that said memorandum does not affect Panama's sovereignty nor contemplate the installation of military bases in the country.
