In brief
Colombia's Foreign Ministry announced the asylum approval for Ricardo Martinelli, providing him a route to Bogotá after a year spent evading legal consequences in a Nicaraguan embassy.
Ricardo Martinelli, the former President of Panama, has been granted asylum by the Colombian government, allowing him to leave the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama City where he sought sanctuary for over a year. According to the Colombian Foreign Ministry, arrangements were made for Martinelli to travel by diplomatic car from the embassy to a nearby airport, where he could catch a flight to the Colombian capital, Bogotá.In a social media announcement, Martinelli, now 73, expressed relief and declared himself a political refugee after leaving behind a volatile political situation in Panama. His asylum request follows a conviction in 2023 for money laundering from a major government contractor deal, resulting in a 10-year prison sentence and a hefty $19 million fine after an appeal was denied by Panama’s Supreme Court.Martinelli argued that the legal actions against him were politically motivated. After receiving asylum from Nicaragua, he took shelter in their embassy in Panama City with basic comforts and his dog, Bruno. Initially, he contemplated using the embassy as a campaign base for the May 2024 presidential election in Panama. However, as the election approached, Panama’s electoral authorities barred him from running due to his criminal conviction. His chosen successor, José Raúl Mulino, subsequently won the election, leaning on Martinelli's legacy during his campaign efforts.
