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Caribbean & Central America - May 2012 (ISSN 1741-4458)
PANAMA: Martinelli on the defensive
President Ricardo Martinelli is facing one of the biggest scandals to hit his government since taking office in July 2009. Last month he was forced to publicly deny receiving bribes in exchange for the promise of construction contracts following allegations that came to light with the arrest (in Rome) of a former aide to the disgraced former Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi (1994-1995; 2001-2006; 2008-2011). With the full impact of the scandal yet to emerge and Martinelli’s popularity already having been dealt a blow as a result of his recent attempt to back-track on a promise not to liberalise the mining sector [RC-12-03], the case has raised some uncomfortable questions for the President – himself of Italian heritage - whose dealings with Italy have long attracted media attention.
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