So far, the exact time when the former president could be leaving the Nicaraguan embassy in this capital heading to Tocumen International Airport is unknown, but since early this morning National Police units began to arrive outside the diplomatic headquarters, where he remained as a refugee since February 7, 2024. Last week, the Government granted the safe-conduct whose non-extendable term ends at midnight of this Monday, March 31.

In 2023, Martinelli was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison for the crime of money laundering in the ‘New Business’ case, related to the purchase of a publishing company with State resources.

Martinelli’s trip to Nicaragua faced hurdles before when the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry, through a letter addressed to its Panamenian counterpart, warned on Sunday that as long as the status regarding the existence or not of an Interpol alert against the former president was not clarified, they could not receive him.

The reactions of the Nicaraguan diplomacy come after Jaime Fernandez, director of the National Police, confirmed this Sunday that there was an Interpol alert against Panama’s former president.

In the midst of the commotion, the security entity later issued a statement confirming that the request for a red alert against the former president, which was initiated by Judge Baloisa Marquínez at the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), was rejected. Hours before this verdict was made public, the Foreign Ministry of Panama pointed out that no Interpol red alert can prevent the trip of the former president.

The safe-conduct in favor of former president Ricardo Martinelli has been granted in application of conventional norms of International Law, which prevail over the actions of the police authorities in this case’, the document states.

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