The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, which tears its clothes every day asking, in language loaded with aggressive epithets, for respect for its sovereignty and national integrity, is meddling in the internal affairs of Panama, has affected its territorial integrity, flagrantly violating international law, giving protection to the convicted ex-president Ricardo Martinelli, for which the Canal country was forced to “call for consultation” its ambassador in Managua, a step prior to breaking diplomatic relations.
Through a Foreign Ministry Note, issued on the afternoon of this Monday, April 22, the Government of the Republic of Panama reiterated the complaint that the Managua regime, by granting “illegal” protection to the former president of that country, Ricardo Martinelli, in the unique embassy, has caused “affects to its territorial integrity” due to the “repeated and flagrant violation of the norms of international law.”
Former president Martinelli, 72 years old, is a convict, prosecuted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for acts of corruption and with pending cases with the justice system of his country, however, the dictator Ortega granted him diplomatic asylum in the Nicaraguan embassy in the canal country.
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Given these events, the Panamanian Government officially informed Managua that it has “called for consultation” its representative in Managua, José de Jesús Martínez. The call for consultation is a form of diplomatic protest by one government against another, and could be considered a step prior to breaking diplomatic relations.
In international law, as experts have explained, a “call for consultation” by an ambassador can last days, months or years, and during that absence, the person who would be in charge of the embassy would be the charge d’affaires “ad interim”, therefore Therefore, “diplomatic representation would be lowered in rank.”
“When a country calls its ambassador for consultations, it can be the previous step to breaking diplomatic relations,” said an expert consulted by Article 66 who preferred anonymity.
“The Republic of Panama feels truly affected in its territorial integrity by the permissive attitude of the Republic of Nicaragua that flagrantly and repeatedly violates fundamental norms of international law,” the Panamanian Foreign Ministry expressed this Monday in its diplomatic note.
The convicted former president Martinelli: the seed of discord
Martinelli sought asylum in the Nicaraguan Embassy in Panama on February 7, after the sentence against him of more than 10 years in prison for money laundering was ratified.
The note from the Panamanian Foreign Ministry reiterated that it has been warning for some time about the violations of international law perpetrated by the Nicaraguan regime.
Panama “expressed and reiterated its most energetic protest to Nicaragua by allowing that, under the protection of an alleged protection, which is illegal, in accordance with international law, Mr. Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal has maintained and deployed actions from its diplomatic headquarters (of Nicaragua) in Panama, for political-partisan purposes,” the Canal government protests.
“The Republic of Panama kindly informs the Republic of Nicaragua of its decision to call the ambassador for consultations, as of the date of receipt of this communication,” the note closes.
