{"code":"27794","sect":"EF Audio","sect_slug":"ef-audio","hits":"134","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/en\/202503\/ef_audio\/27794","link_edit":"","name":"Podcast: Panama Grants Fugitive President Safe Passage to Nicaragua","slug":"podcast-panama-grants-fugitive-president-safe-passage-to-nicaragua","info":"The Panamanian government grants safe passage to fugitive former president Ricardo Martinelli to leave for Nicaragua, where he claimed asylum to avoid prison in Panama. A former U.S. ambassador tells the Senate that he \u201cdoesn\u2019t doubt\u201d the possible use of Pegasus spyware in El Salvador.","mtag":"Impunity","noun":{"html":"\u003Cspan class='tint-text--dark' data_href='\/user\/profile\/rgressier'\u003E Roman Gressier\u003C\/span\u003E","data":{"roman-gressier":{"sort":"rgressier","slug":"roman-gressier","path":"roman_gressier","name":"Roman Gressier","edge":"0","init":"0"}}},"view":"134","pict":{"cms-image-000041784-jpg":{"feat":"1","sort":"41784","name":"cms-image-000041784.jpg","link":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000041784.jpg","path":"https:\/\/elfaro.net\/images\/cms-image-000041784.jpg","back":"","slug":"cms-image-000041784-jpg","text":"<p>Former Panamanian president and presidential aspirant Ricardo Martinelli speaks during a political rally in Panama City on Feb. 3, 2024. The Panamanian government granted former President Ricardo Martinelli a permit to travel to Nicaragua after he sought asylum in that country's embassy just over a year ago to evade a prison sentence for money laundering. Photo Martin Bernetti\/AFP<\/p>","capt":"\u003Cp\u003EFormer Panamanian president and presidential aspirant Ricardo Martinelli speaks during a political rally in Panama City on Feb. 3, 2024. The Panamanian government granted former President Ricardo Martinelli a permit to travel to Nicaragua after he sought asylum in that country's embassy just over a year ago to evade a prison sentence for money laundering. Photo Martin Bernetti\/AFP\u003C\/p\u003E"}},"pict_main__sort":41784,"date":{"live":"2025\/03\/28"},"data_post_dateLive_YY":"2025","data_post_dateLive_MM":"03","data_post_dateLive_DD":"28","text":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ciframe src=\"https:\/\/embed.podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/panama-grants-fugitive-president-safe-passage-to-nicaragua\/id1617223682?i=1000701219052\" width=\"320\" height=\"175\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECENTRAL AMERICA IN MINUTES, Ep. 23:\u003C\/strong\u003E Former U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador Ronald Johnson, a friend and promoter of Nayib Bukele, tells the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee that \u201cI don\u2019t doubt\u201d that Pegasus could have been used against civil society and U.S. officials during his tenure in El Salvador.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThe Panama government allows fugitive ex-president Ricardo Martinelli \u2014once famous for using Pegasus against political opponents and his mistress\u2014 to leave for Managua. In February 2024, Martinelli claimed asylum in the Nicaraguan Embassy to evade a 10-year money-laundering sentence in Panama City.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cbr\/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003EEl Faro English translates Central America. Listen to Central America in Minutes every Friday on major podcast platforms.\u003C\/p\u003E"}