PANAMA CITY, June 4 (Reuters) – Panama’s former President Ricardo Martinelli, who faces suspicions of mismanagement during his administration, will seek the country’s presidency once again, his party will run in the next elections on Sunday. After being selected to take .
Martinelli, who governed Panama between 2009 and 2014, won over three other candidates to run in the vote, championing the Realizando Metas (RM) party, a political force he had formed two years earlier after losing control of Cambio Democratico. was installed later. Power.
The 71-year-old former governor is accused of allegedly using public funds to buy a media outlet and has also been charged in Panama for his alleged involvement in a bribery payment scandal involving Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.
Martinelli, who has denied any crime, arrived at RM headquarters with hundreds of supporters to celebrate his long-awaited victory and gave a speech in which he assured he was being politically attacked.
“The only way to get me out of the presidential race is impeachment (…) They’re going to kill me,” he said amid shouts and applause.
In January, the United States barred the former president and his immediate family from entering the country, right after two of his sons served three-year sentences imposed by a US court on charges of laundering millions of dollars in the Central American nation. came back. In bribe. from Odebrecht.
(Reporting by Elida Moreno)
