Panama's safe-passage to Nicaragua for former president expires, leaving him in limbo

Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald on Apr 4, 2025

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In a dramatic turn of events, former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli finds himself caught in a high-stakes diplomatic standoff after his safe-passage permit that would have allowed him to leave for Nicaragua expired Thursday at midnight, leaving him stranded in a legal and political limbo.

Despite receiving all necessary documentation from Panama, the Daniel Ortega regime in Nicaragua never responded to the request to allow Martinelli safe passage, effectively shutting the door on his bid for asylum, at least for now. The Panamanian government confirmed Nicaragua’s silence.

Once a dominant figure in Panamanian politics, Martinelli remains trapped inside the Nicaraguan Embassy in Panama — his fate tangled in a web of international politics and diplomatic standoffs, as he is left to watch from the sidelines to see if he will be granted safe passage or if he will be forced to face legal consequences at home.

Martinelli, who was president of Panama from 2009-14, saw his ambitions for a political comeback crushed in 2023 when he was convicted of money laundering, sentenced to more than 10 years in prison and slapped with a $19 million fine.

Initially a front-runner for the 2024 elections, he was forced to step aside, paving the way for ally José Raúl Mulino to take his place on the ballot — a move that ultimately secured Mulino the presidency.

In addition to the money-laundering conviction, Martinelli’s reputation has also been stained by accusations that he accepted $28 million in bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, a scandal that has ensnared his sons as well.

This isn’t the first time Martinelli’s attempts to leave Panama have been thwarted — previously, Nicaragua canceled his travel plans over fears of an Interpol red alert notice, which asks police agencies around the world to arrest someone on sight. But Panama’s authorities later dismissed that concern, leading to a temporary extension of his safe-passage permit, which has now expired.

Some analysts suspect Nicaragua’s silence is part of a broader geopolitical chess game. The country has accused Panama of “contradictory behavior” and “defamation” in handling Martinelli’s case while also expressing frustration over Panama’s resistance to supporting its candidate for leadership in the Central American Integration System, an organization that promotes the coordination of policies in the region.

On Monday, Managua accused Panama and other country members of blocking the election of former Nicaragua Foreign Minister Denis Moncada as the system’s new secretary general, and analysts in Panama are saying that Ortega’s resentment over this issue might be complicating the situation over Martinelli.

The former president has been holed up in the Nicaraguan Embassy since February 2024 after Panama moved to arrest him following the confirmation of his conviction.

While Panama initially resisted allowing him to leave, it granted him safe passage on March 27, 2025, citing “humanitarian reasons.” The approval was extended by three days on March 31, offering Martinelli a narrow window to leave that for now appears to have been slammed shut.

Further complicating matters, Panama’s judicial branch requested an Interpol red notice against the former president, which the country’s police rejected on March 30, arguing that international law prohibits such measures against asylum-seekers. This cleared a major legal hurdle for his departure — only for Nicaragua’s silence to leave him stranded once again.

If Martinelli can make it to Nicaragua, it would further cement Managua’s reputation as a sanctuary for embattled politicians, having already sheltered several former leaders from the region facing legal trouble.

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