The right-wing José Raúl Mulino will be the new president of Panama after winning this Sunday’s elections in the Central American country with 34% of the votes. Mulino won thanks to the support of former president Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), convicted of corruption and a refugee in the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama, a new demonstration of the political pirouettes of the Latin American roller coaster.
A 64-year-old maritime law expert, Mulino is part of Panama’s political and economic establishment. He was Martinelli’s Minister of Security (2010-2014), his mandate being marked by violent police repression against the citizen protests of 2010. Before that he was Minister of Justice (2009-2010) and, much earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993-1994). ) under the presidency of Guillermo Endara (1989-1994). The conservative leader will take office on July 1 for the next five years.
Initially, Mulino was not the candidate for president of Realizing Goals (RM), whose initials coincide without any coincidence with those of Ricardo Martinelli, founder of the formation. In this race, Mulino was a candidate for vice president of Martinelli, who aspired to return to the presidency, but he took his place when the former president and magnate was disqualified after being sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison for money laundering, in one of the many corruption scandals in which he has been involved, as well as his family members.
Martinelli’s disqualification occurred in March, abandoning the campaign and taking refuge in the diplomatic legation of Nicaragua, whose government has granted him political asylum, waiting for safe passage to leave the country that, with the victory of his dolphin, he probably will not it will be necessary. “This is the face of a happy and content man,” Martinelli tweeted along with a smiling photo after confirming Mulino’s victory, who on Sunday, after casting his vote, visited the former president at the Nicaraguan embassy.
Mulino beat the anti-establishment outsider Ricardo Lombana in the elections, who came second with 25% of the votes, and former president Martín Torrijos (2004-2009), who came third with 16% of the votes.
In Panama there is no second round and, since Mulino does not have a legislative majority, he will be forced to forge alliances to fulfill his promise – or that of Martinelli – to create an economic bonanza like the one that Panamanians remember under the businessman’s mandate. in a country mired in economic crisis and social unrest that has already led to protests in the streets.
