Panama's Parlacen Opposes Inauguration of Former Presidents

In October, the Panamanian bloc of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) issued a statement, asserting that the acceptance of Cortizo and Carrizo could be perceived as a 'privilege and political impunity'. Panamanian deputies in Parlacen announced they will present a motion to prohibit the swearing-in of presidents at the end of their term to put an end to this 'privilege'. The request from both former public officials had already been scheduled for last July, but since the vote did not take place, they are still awaiting its consideration. Since then, allegations of alleged embezzlement of funds, corruption, and other crimes against these two figures have not been long in coming; one of them was even the subject of precautionary measures by the Comptroller General of the Republic. Yesterday, Monday, it transpired that the inauguration of the former officials will not be addressed in the plenary session of the body, which concludes this Wednesday, so their request will remain pending until next January. 'Accountability and justice must prevail over any personal or political consideration,' they emphasized in a press release. The 'Realizando Metas' (RM) collective has requested its parliamentarians to vote against the nomination of Cortizo and Carrizo to compel them to face justice, as they have information that their intention is for their cases to be addressed by the Supreme Court of Justice in their favor. The former officials have been awaiting admission since October 2024. They stated that it was not the 'opportune moment' for this request, as Panamanians were demanding greater accountability and actions focused on the collective good. The Central American Parliament (Parlacen) continues to distance itself from former President Laurentino Cortizo and his former Vice President José Gabriel Carrizo.