“The Court ruling is a mistake – Mulino should have been blocked from running. This ruling is the result of pressures that have nothing to do with democracy and the people,” declared musician and political activist Ruben Blades.
HAVANA TIMES – Panamanian singer-songwriter and activist Ruben Blades had harsh words to say on May 3rd, following a High Court ruling that ratified the candidacy of Jose Raul Mulino as a last-minute substitute for former president Ricardo Martinelli, convicted of corruption. The Court decision came just days before Panama’s general election, scheduled for Sunday, May 5.
“The Court’s conclusion is a mistake. Mulino should have been blocked from running. This ruling is the result of pressures that have nothing to do with democracy and the people,” stated Blades, winner of multiple Grammys and Panama’s Tourism Minister from 2004 – 2009. His opinions were shared over social media.
Following a marathon session that began on April 30, with the presence of Panama’s full Supreme Court, presiding Magistrate Maria Eugenia Lopez announced the final ruling in the early morning of May 3. The High Court determined that the March 4 decision of the Electoral Tribunal “was not unconstitutional.” That ruling designated Mulino, formerly Martinel