Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli has arrived in Colombia after being granted asylum, ending a 15-month stay inside the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama, where he had sought refuge to avoid serving an 11-year prison sentence for money laundering.
Panama’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Martinelli’s departure in a statement on Saturday, saying it had issued the necessary safe conduct for his travel to Colombia, which had agreed to provide him political asylum.
“The Panamanian government granted the necessary safe conduct for the safe departure of the asylum seeker, Panamanian citizen Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal, to Colombia,” the statement read.
Shortly after arriving in Bogotá, the 73-year-old former leader posted a photo on Instagram, writing that he was “happy and content” to be in the Colombian capital.
Martinelli, a wealthy businessman and supermarket magnate, served as Panama’s president from 2009 to 2014.
He was sentenced in 2023 to nearly 11 years in prison after being convicted of laundering public funds to acquire a stake in a publishing company.
Despite the conviction, Martinelli has long insisted the charges were politically motivated.
In February 2024, just before an arrest warrant was issued, Martinelli sought asylum at the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama.
Although his presidential candidacy in the May 2024 elections had been gaining momentum, he was disqualified due to his conviction. His running mate, Jose Raul Mulino, replaced him on the ballot and ultimately won the presidency.
President Mulino later authorized Martinelli’s safe passage to Nicaragua in March 2025, but Nicaraguan authorities refused to receive him, citing concerns that Panama could not assure he was free of active Interpol warrants.
As a result, Martinelli remained stuck in diplomatic limbo until Colombia stepped in with an offer of asylum.
Martinelli’s arrival in Colombia could spark fresh diplomatic tensions in the region, particularly as critics continue to accuse him of evading justice.
Meanwhile, his allies maintain that his prosecution was a targeted effort to block his political comeback.
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