The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, reported that he had a conversation with the new ambassador of Nicaragua, Jessica Yaoska Padilla Leiva, regarding the issue of former president Ricardo Martinelli, who is sheltered in the Nicaraguan embassy awaiting a safe conduct to travel to Nicaragua. Mulino expressed his concern, stating that Nicaragua does not respect international law or any internal rights.
"Yes, I spoke with her yesterday. It is also important to understand that we are not dealing with a common and ordinary country that respects international law; they do not respect international, internal, or any rights in Nicaragua," Mulino declared at a weekly press conference.
The president sent a personal message to President Daniel Ortega, without publicly revealing its content, but indicating that the issue of Martinelli was present in the conversation. Padilla Leiva recently assumed the role of ambassador of Nicaragua in Panama, succeeding Consuelo Sandoval Mesa, who resigned last December.
Nicaragua had requested the approval for the appointment of Padilla Leiva since December, and she is expected to replace Sandoval Mesa at the embassy. Martinelli, sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for money laundering, has been taking refuge there since February 2024, awaiting a safe conduct that will allow him to travel to Nicaragua as a "political persecuted."
The change in the Nicaraguan embassy occurred after complaints from the Panamanian president about Martinelli's expressions, which led to a first warning from the Panamanian Government. It was requested that the embassy not be a place for political meetings and that it be limited to asylum responsibilities.
Ricardo Martinelli, former president of Panama, has taken refuge in the Nicaraguan embassy since February 2024, after being convicted for money laundering in the New Business case. His opinions and political activities from the embassy have generated controversies in the country, being described by a Panamanian minister as a "mythomaniac" who promotes chaos.
President Mulino expressed his concern regarding the situation in Nicaragua, stating last December that the country "has neither God nor Law" and accusing it of not respecting international law.
