Panama's Governor Accuses Engineer Annette Planells of Political Intrigue

The Governor of Panama, Mayín Correa, stated that the actions taken against engineer Annette Planells were intended to remove her from the political stage. She clarified that, beyond possible criminal penalties, the main objective is for the country to know who is violating ethical and moral principles. "What surprises me is that Martinelli's lawyers have not yet announced the reopening of the case so that all these beauties of evil, illegality, tricks, and fabrications can be seen in all state bodies, such as the judiciary, and journalists who agreed for money, it was not free, to make a victim of a man who was a good president," Correa emphasized. During her statements, Correa also referred to the alleged actions of businessmen, media members, members of the Judicial Branch, and journalists, whom she accused of supposedly participating for economic interests to build a case against Martinelli. She stressed that the Panamanian people have already realized the tricks used against Martinelli to remove him from the political game because he was a secure president and they did not want him out of fear. Bernal emphasized that a democratic state is built and strengthened with the truth, and held that there should be no room for people accused of corrupt practices to pretend to be beacons of ethics and civic virtue. In his statements, Correa also referred to the role of U.S. diplomacy, noting that an ambassador acts as a spokesperson for their government and can only communicate facts previously approved by it. She also assured that the main sanction for these people would already be taking place in the court of public opinion, while mentioning the possibility of diplomatic consequences. In turn, lawyer Miguel Antonio Bernal referred to the issue on X, where he defended the proposal to create a commission to investigate alleged blackmail and extortion. So far, the official formation of such a commission has not been announced. The governor said that when the U.S. ambassador, Kevin Marino, spoke of the anti-corruption award, it is because it was already taken away from Planells because she does not deserve it: "He represents the government of the United States and the president of the United States," she said. According to Bernal, the initiative has generated "anguish in some sectors" that would not agree with its formation. The Governor of Panama, Mayín Correa, issued strong statements in which she questioned the credibility of engineer Annette Planells and sectors linked to the Independent Movement of Panama (Movin), which she pointed out was created with the objective of politically affecting former President Ricardo Martinelli. Correa assured that Planells, whom she describes as a "big boss" in shareholder meetings of the newspaper La Prensa, has lost all credibility and will no longer be able to work in the media.