Tension escalated this Thursday after the U.S. Ambassador to Panama, Kevin Marino Cabrera, made it clear that his government has more information about Annette Planells than has been made public so far. According to the diplomat, these elements support the previous allegations, which have damaged the public image of the former president and former board member of the newspaper La Prensa. Cabrera explained that the investigations are not limited to what has already been published in the media or circulated on social networks, and emphasized that the U.S. government possesses additional information about Planells. "In addition to the WhatsApp messages that have been seen and what has come to light, our government has much more information," he stated to Panamanian journalists. The messages he referred to are notarized conversations between lawyer Karisma Karamañites, Annette Planells, staff from the digital outlet Foco, and a lawyer from the firm Morgan & Morgan. In these exchanges, the Supreme Court of Justice is mentioned as a possible mechanism to disqualify the candidacy of current President José Raúl Mulino, in a political context marked by the previous Electoral Tribunal ruling against Ricardo Martinelli and the parties Realizando Metas and Alianza. After several days of silence, Planells issued a brief statement in which she attributed the criticism to publications by La Prensa related to Louis Sola, former Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission of the United States. However, the ambassador rejected this explanation, stating that he was not aware of Sola's letter until Planells made it public. "To think that everything is due to that issue is a mistake," he clarified. Cabrera also referred to the recognition given to Planells in December 2023 by the administration of then-President Joe Biden, when she was distinguished as an "anti-corruption champion." According to the diplomat, the current administration of President Donald Trump is reviewing and correcting past decisions. "Awarding an anti-corruption prize to a person accused of practices contrary to those values is absurd," he stated, noting that the recent statements aim to rectify that recognition. The ambassador's statement marks a turning point in the narrative that has long surrounded Planells and opens a new chapter in a controversy that crosses borders, involves political, judicial, and media actors, and continues to generate strong repercussions both inside and outside Panama.
