US EditionFormer Panamanian president Martinelli leaves Nicaraguan embassy for asylum in Colombia
- After more than a year of refuge at the Nicaraguan embassy to evade a money laundering sentence, Ricardo Martinelli, the ex-president of Panama, departed and traveled to Colombia, where political asylum was granted to him.
- Martinelli sought refuge in the embassy for 15 months to avoid serving an almost 11-year sentence for money laundering upheld in 2023 amid claims of political persecution.
- Panama granted Martinelli safe conduct for departure to Colombia, while Colombia's President Gustavo Petro formally notified Panama that asylum was granted.
- Martinelli, 73, posted on Instagram that he was “happy and content” in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, reflecting his relief following the long refuge and legal battle.
- The asylum and departure end Martinelli’s embassy refuge but highlight ongoing political tensions in Panama involving his disqualification from the 2024 election and right-wing ally Jose Raul Mulino now president.
150 Articles
150 Articles
Colombia Grants Political Asylum to Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli
Colombia granted political asylum to former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, who left the Nicaraguan Embassy in Panama on Saturday, where he had been sheltering since February 2024. The Colombian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the decision was “duly communicated” by President Gustavo Petro Urrego to the Panamanian government. The decision was “based on the observance of the pro persona principle and Colombia’s humanist traditi…
Colombia grants asylum to former Panamanian President Martinelli
Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), sentenced to over 10 years in prison for money laundering and bribery in the Odebrecht case, was granted political asylum by Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Saturday.
Colombia Grants Asylum to Panama’s Ex-President After 16-Month Embassy Refuge
Colombia granted political asylum to former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli on May 10, 2025, enabling his departure from Nicaragua’s embassy in Panama City after a 16-month refuge. The Colombian Foreign Ministry confirmed the decision, coordinating safe passage via diplomatic vehicle to an airport for a flight to Bogotá. Martinelli, 73, faces a 10-year prison sentence […]
Martinelli does it again: he dodges justice and takes refuge in Colombia
The former president of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) is now officially a political asylum in Colombia. Martinelli, sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for money laundering for the case known as New Business, was a refugee in the Embassy of Nicaragua of Panama, but left his country on Saturday, May 10 to move to Colombia, following the efforts of the government of Gustavo Petro to receive him in Bogotá. A few hours before his tran…
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