Former Panama President Martinelli Heads for Asylum in Colombia
PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli left the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama City where he had sought refuge more than a year ago after the courts upheld a money laundering sentence against him and headed to Colombia where he has received political asylum, the government said late Saturday.
Panama's foreign ministry said in a statement that Colombian President Gustavo Petro sent Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino a formal note saying that he had granted Martinelli asylum and that Panama had granted the former president safe passage to Colombia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
2 hours ago
Colombia's president bypasses lawmakers and issues decree to let voters decide on labor reform
BOGOTA, Colombia -- Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday bypassed legislative opposition and signed a decree summoning voters to the polls in August to decide changes to the country's labor laws, including whether workdays should be limited to eight hours. The decree fulfilled Petro's threat to Congress to put his labor system overhaul before voters should senators not approve the 12-question referendum themselves. He issued the measure in a tense political climate following the Saturday shooting of opposition senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay during a public event. The referendum has become the crux of long-running tensions between the executive and legislative branches. After Congress rejected Petro's labor reform twice, most recently in March, he sent lawmakers a 12-question referendum proposal on May 1 as Colombian law requires that the Senate rule on the advisability of referendums. The legislative body two weeks later voted 49-47 against the measure, prompting Petro to accuse lawmakers of fraud. Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, has accused Congress of working against the interest of workers and has asked them to demonstrate across the country. The referendum's questions include whether workers should receive double pay if they work during holidays; whether daytime workdays should end at 6 p.m.; and whether open-ended contracts should be offered to workers to prioritize job stability. The disagreements between Petro and Congress date back to the start of his term in 2022, but they have heightened as he seeks to consolidate his legacy ahead of next year's legislative and presidential elections. Uribe remained in critical condition Wednesday following his shooting in broad daylight Saturday during a political rally in the capital, Bogota. Authorities investigating the motive have not ruled out the possibility that it was a targeted attack on the opposition. They are also considering whether it was an attempt to destabilize the current government, or retaliation by illegal armed groups. In anticipation of court challenges, Petro on Wednesday said his government will send the decree to Colombia's Constitutional Court for review. At the same time, the Council of State is considering a lawsuit seeking to annul the Senate's vote.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Colombian president accuses US of plotting coup
Colombia's leftist President Gustavo Petro accused the United States and "right-wing extremists" on Wednesday of plotting to overthrow him as the country reeled from a wave of violence. He echoed remarks by Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who has accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of leading a coup attempt against Petro in order to "fill all of Colombia with criminal gangs." "A neighboring president is saying that Marco Rubio is plotting a coup against me," Petro told a rally in Cali, the country's third-largest city. The Colombian leader, who took office in August 2022, posted online earlier that "right-wing extremists in Colombia and the United States" were in regular contact to discuss ousting him. He claimed a far-right "leader" had spoken to Rubio, without providing further details. Colombia is in the throes of its biggest security crisis in a decade ahead of next year's presidential elections. The Latin American country was rocked by a string of coordinated bomb and gun attacks on Tuesday that killed at least seven people in and around Cali. The attacks came days after right-wing opposition Senator Miguel Uribe, a presidential candidate, was shot in the head while campaigning in the capital Bogota in a brazen assassination attempt that has put Colombia on edge. Rubio said in a scathing attack on Petro that the shooting was "the result of the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government". Colombia was until recently one of the United States' closest partners in Latin America. But Petro's crossing swords with his US counterpart Donald Trump over issues such as deportation flights and trade with China has put relations on ice. als/arm/cms/pbt
Bloomberg
4 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Norway Wealth Fund Puts TD Bank Under Observation for Four Years
Norway's $1.9 trillion sovereign wealth fund put Toronto-Dominion Bank under observation for four years as the Canadian lender works to improve controls and culture, following a historic money laundering settlement. TD Bank last year pleaded guilty to failures in the prevention of money laundering, agreeing to pay almost $3.1 billion in fines and other penalties. US Prosecutors said the bank failed for a decade to root out suspicious activities as required under the Bank Secrecy Act.
