Podcast: Panama Grants Fugitive President Safe Passage to Nicaragua
<p>The Panamanian government grants safe passage to fugitive former president Ricardo Martinelli to leave for Nicaragua, where he claimed asylum to avoid prison in Panama. A former U.S. ambassador tells the Senate that he “doesn’t doubt” the possible use of Pegasus spyware in El Salvador.</p>
Roman Gressier
CENTRAL AMERICA IN MINUTES, Ep. 23: Former U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Ronald Johnson, a friend and promoter of Nayib Bukele, tells the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that “I don’t doubt” that Pegasus could have been used against civil society and U.S. officials during his tenure in El Salvador.
The Panama government allows fugitive ex-president Ricardo Martinelli —once famous for using Pegasus against political opponents and his mistress— to leave for Managua. In February 2024, Martinelli claimed asylum in the Nicaraguan Embassy to evade a 10-year money-laundering sentence in Panama City.
El Faro English translates Central America. Listen to Central America in Minutes every Friday on major podcast platforms.