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Ricardo Martinelli

October 15, 2023

Not to be confused with Riccardo Martinelli.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Martinelli and the second or maternal family name is Berrocal.

Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal GColIH (born March 11, 1951) is a Panamanian politician and businessman who was the 36th president of Panama from 2009 to 2014.

Ricardo Martinelli
GColIH
Martinelli in 2013
36th President of Panama
In office
July 1, 2009 – July 1, 2014
Vice PresidentJuan Carlos Varela
Preceded byMartín Torrijos
Succeeded byJuan Carlos Varela
Personal details
Born
Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal

(1951-03-11) March 11, 1951 (age 72)
Panama City, Panama
Political partyDemocratic Change (until 2020)
Realizing Goals (2021–)
SpouseMarta Linares (1978–present)
Alma materUniversity of Arkansas (BSBA)
ReligionRoman Catholicism

Early life Edit

Born in Panama City, Ricardo Martinelli is the son of Ricardo Martinelli Pardini and Gloria Berrocal Fábrega.[1] His father is of Italian descent, and his mother is of Spanish descent.[2] He completed his secondary education at Staunton Military Academy in Staunton, Virginia, in the United States. In 1973 he graduated with a bachelor of science in business administration degree from the University of Arkansas where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity.[3]

Business career Edit

Martinelli began his career as a credit officer at Citibank in Panama. After several years of banking, he purchased the business of a client, in turn becoming an entrepreneur, buying or starting additional businesses.[4] His net worth was estimated at $1.1 billion or more, according to press reports. The Economist stated that voters "want him to run the country as well as he manages his businesses" in response to his victory in the 2009 presidential election.[5]

As of 2009, he was the president and director of the board of Panamanian supermarket chain, Super 99[1] and of two other companies. From May 2009, he passed the presidency of Super 99 to Luis Enrique Martinelli.[6]

Politics Edit

During the presidency of Ernesto Pérez Balladares, Martinelli served as Director of Social security from 1994 to 1996.[3] From September 1999 to January 2003, during the presidency of Mireya Moscoso, he served as chairman of the board of directors of the Panama Canal and as the Minister for Canal Affairs.[3]

Martinelli was the president of the Democratic Change party, which was founded in May 1998.[1][3] He led the party and was the presidential candidate during the 2004 general election, when his party came in last; Martinelli received 5.3% of the vote and came in fourth and place in the election.[7]

Martinelli was the leader of Democratic Change and presidential candidate in the 2009 general election.[1] He ran on a pro-business platform, promising to cut political corruption and reduce violent crime and spent an estimated $35 million on promoting his campaign. By Election Day, Martinelli was the favorite to win the election, with opinion polls giving him a double-digit lead over the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD)–People's Party coalition.[7] He had the support of the Alliance for Change, a group of political parties that includes his own Democratic Change party, the Panameñista Party, the Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement, and the Patriotic Union Party.[1]

His main opponent was PRD candidate Balbina Herrera. Though initially the favorite,[3] she was damaged in the election by her links to former military ruler Manuel Noriega[8] and by the perception that she was a "Chavista", a supporter of leftist Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.[9] Martinelli was also helped by strong support from the business community.[3]

On May 3, 2009, Martinelli won the national election by a landslide, with over 60% of the votes, thanks to the alliance with who would be his vice president, Juan Carlos Varela, who contributed the votes of the Panamanian party, 22.2% of the total, compared to Herrera, who received about 36%. Former president Guillermo Endara finished a distant third.[9] This was the second-largest majority in Panamanian history and the largest since 1989.[10] Martinelli's victory was an exception to a trend of victories for left-leaning Latin American candidates.[8] He was sworn in on July 1, 2009.[11]

Presidency (2009–2014) Edit

Martinelli served as president from 2009 through 2014.

Under Martinelli, Panama enjoyed high economic growth. As reported by The Economist in 2012, "though it lies in Central America, the poorest and most violent region in the West, the country's 3.6m citizens are now richer than most Latin Americans."[12] The following year, The New York Times stated that "Panama [was] booming, with an average economic growth of 9 percent in [the past] five years, the highest in Latin America."[13]

This prosperity widely benefited Panama, with unemployment declining from 6.6% to 4.1%.[14] Income disparity also declined: according to The Economist, "the incomes of the poorest 10% are now 35 times lower than those of the richest 10%, rather than 60 times lower, according to the finance ministry."[12] Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by nearly half,[13] while GDP per capita rose 11%, from $9,982 in 2010 to $11,036 in 2014.[15]

Martinelli introduced a number of measures designed to alleviate poverty, including a $100 monthly pension for the elderly, an increase in the minimum wage, and subsidies for students to meet the cost of uniforms and supplies.[16] He also increased the minimum wage, making it the highest in Latin America.[17]

He also implemented measures to help Colón, an impoverished city on the Gulf Coast. This included projects like a new highway connecting Panama and Colón, the Canal expansion, construction of a new hospital and other public works intended to help reduce unemployment and poverty. The government also announced a $9 million project to rehabilitate Colón's seaside park.[13]

In 2012, Panama—along with the U.S.—was one of the few countries that voted against Palestine in a key U.N. vote.[18]

Infrastructure investment Edit

As of 2010, Martinelli's administration announced plans, ultimately fulfilled during his term, to invest $20 billion over the next four years on infrastructure designed to enhance Panama's role as a global logistics hub and increase foreign direct investment.[19] The plan included greater investment in roads, hospitals, sewers, schools, and a Panama City metro.[20] Fitch Group called the "ambitious public investment program" part of "Panama's highly favorable investment cycle."[21] This plan ended up considerably increasing the public debt of the Panamanian state, which reached 45% of GDP.[22]

The cornerstone of Martinelli's expansion program was the $5.3 billion expansion of the Panama Canal, which was started by his predecessor.

Pro-business policies and tax reform Edit

Twice during his first year in office, Martinelli proposed and signed into law tax reforms to simplify filings, reduce rates, and improve collection. The number of income brackets was reduced from five to two, the corporate tax rate was cut to 25%, and delinquent collection was outsourced.[citation needed] The tax reform imposed and collected taxes on a large swath of Panama's elite, which had largely avoided significant taxation. The program was not without controversy, however. A spokesperson for Fitch Group defended the tax reform "underpin[ned] the government's commitment to sustainable fiscal policies."[23]

Martinelli oversaw the final approval of the Panama–United States Trade Promotion Agreement, which was signed more than two years before he took office but had not been finalized. Martinelli had designated the completion of this agreement as his top priority upon taking office.[24] The agreement was ratified by the US Congress on October 13, 2011.[25]

He also oversaw,[26] the approval of a comprehensive Association treaty with other regional countries and the European Union.

Through pro-business policies, Martinelli saw through the growth of Panama as an international transport and financial hub. According to The Economist, "Its canal is becoming the backbone of a transoceanic logistics network. Its airline, Copa, connects much of Latin America. Its offshore-banking sector sucks in Latin American money."[27]

Rule of Law Edit

Martinelli also undertook efforts to strengthen the rule of law in Panama and to create greater transparency in its institutions, this had some success.[28] According to the New York Times in 2011, " American law enforcement officials, while giving the country credit for improving its police forces and cooperation with international agencies, still consider it a major money-laundering haven." Furthermore, they report that "In the past two years [Panama] has signed agreements with 12 countries, including the United States, to exchange tax and other information upon request, a tool to investigate financial criminals."[28]

In addition, Martinelli upheld and reinforced drug trafficking laws throughout his presidency. In 2012 alone, the Panamanian government seized over 11 tons of cocaine, as reported by IHS.[29]

Panama becomes "investment grade" Edit

During Martinelli's term, Panama's sovereign debt rating was upgraded to "investment grade" by Fitch, Moody's, and Standard & Poor's.[30] Fitch had upgraded Panama twice[21] since Martinelli took office, and Standard & Poor's followed its upgrade with a revised "positive" outlook.[31] The Fitch upgrade was described as "a victory for conservative President Ricardo Martinelli, who has pushed two tax reforms through Congress since taking office".[32]

Martinelli's policies contributed to credit upgrades but also robust increases in foreign direct investment (FDI). During his tenure, FDI rose from $1,259.3 billion (in 2009) to $4,651.3 billion (in 2013).[14]

According to the New York Times, direct investment in real estate was exemplified by "the tallest building in Latin America, a 70-story Trump hotel and condo tower," further growth in financial services ("banking is booming") with "well-heeled foreign transplants" spending on local services and goods.[13]

Reputation Edit

Martinelli experienced high popularity ratings during his term of office, at one time in excess of 90%, the highest in the Americas at the time.[33] In 2014, when he was preparing to leave office, his approval rating was still high, at 65%.[34]

The Democratic Change Party, has continued to see strong legislative support: with Martinelli at its leader it continues to hold the biggest bloc of 30 seats, versus 12 seats for Panameñista Party in the 71-seat National Assembly. Martinelli remains the leader of Panama's opposition party.

Martinelli has also been criticized in the local and international media. In 2011, The Economist described the foreign investment as still hurt by "doubts about the rule of law", citing suspected corruption in the bidding for the metro contract and the flooding of a wealthy Panama City neighborhood with sewage due to a lack of enforcement of planning laws.[20] Martinelli was also criticized during his presidency for authoritarian tactics. He sought to reduce the time period before the president could run for re-election though he withdrew when it proved unfeasible. He was accused of tampering with the Supreme Court.[20][35] In August 2009, the US Ambassador to Panama, Barbara J. Stephenson, wrote to the US State Department that Martinelli had asked her for wiretaps on his political opponents, and she complained of his "bullying style" and "autocratic tendencies".[36] A copy of the cable was released in December 2010 by WikiLeaks. After the leak, Martinelli's administration said that "help in tapping the telephones of politicians was never requested" and that Stephenson was "mistaken" in her interpretation.[36][37]

In December 2011, former military ruler Manuel Noriega was extradited from France to Panama by Martinelli's government. Critics charged that Martinelli had requested the extradition to turn public attention away from administration scandals, an accusation denied by Panamanian government.[38]

Honors and awards Edit

On February 20, 2010, the University of Arkansas established the Ricardo A. Martinelli Berrocal Scholarship to provide financial aid to prospective University of Arkansas students from Panama. He was also presented with the Citation of Distinguished Alumnus award and was made an official ambassador of the State of Arkansas by Governor Mike Beebe.[39]

On June 16, 2013, received and acknowledgement from the FAO in Rome, Italy, for helping to reduce the child malnutrition in the Panamanian territory. It took place during the 38th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Conference. Martinelli was awarded besides other thirty seven countries.

Personal life Edit

In 1978, Martinelli married Marta Linares, with whom he has three children: Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, and Carolina Martinelli Linares.[42] Ricardo and Luis Enrique are accused of having received at least 22 million dollars of the Brazilian company Odebrecht, involved in a vast scandal of corruption. The money had then been hidden on bank accounts in Switzerland.[43]

Legal issues Edit

Corruption charges Edit

After leaving power in July 2014, the government of his successor, Juan Carlos Varela, launched a series of investigations related to cost overruns during the Martinelli government. In the investigations of the National Aid Program (PAN), cost overruns of more than 45 million dollars in dehydrated food were detected. In the investigations, two former directors have been arrested: Giacomo Tamburelli and Rafael Guardia. In the statements, both pointed out that Martinelli had ordered both purchases with cost overruns.53 After an investigation, the case was closed without evidence against the former president, since the Judicial Branch recognized that it could not gather elements of conviction to prove the prosecution.

Given the allegations, on January 28, 2015, an investigation was launched against Martinelli, with the unanimous vote of all the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice, for "alleged crimes against the public administration." However, Martinelli had left Panama hours earlier for Guatemala City, headquarters of the Central American Parliament (Parlacen), of which he serves as a deputy and, as such, argues that he has jurisdiction against criminal proceedings, which in 2012 he had described as "cave of thieves "; Relying on the fact that as a former president he is a Parlacen deputy, he denounced the current government in harsh terms and accusing President Varela of wanting to assassinate him, however the plenary session of Parlacen affirmed that he had no immunity, since if the National Assembly of Panama did not grants parliamentary immunity to local deputies, the Parlacen cannot either. After reporting what he described as a persecution against him to Parlacen, Martinelli took refuge in Miami.

Additionally, Martinelli has proceedings open for espionage and telephone interception of more than 150 people during his mandate, most of them opponents (including businessmen, independent journalists and magistrates). Because he was still in the United States and did not attend the preliminary hearing on December 11, 2015, he was declared in "default" by the guarantee judge Jerónimo Mejía and went to the plenary session of the Supreme Court of Justice of Panama. on whether Martinelli would be called to a hearing, ordering his "provisional arrest" on December 21.

2017 U.S. arrest Edit

On June 12, 2017, Martinelli was arrested at Coral Gables in south Florida after a provisional arrest warrant issued by the U.S. Justice Department in response to a request from Panama and was set to appear on Federal Court.[44]

Martinelli and Manuel Antonio Noriega, are the only Panamanian political leaders detained in the US for judicial processes of institutional gravity. In May 2017, Interpol issued a red notice (request for international arrest) for the extradition of Ricardo Martinelli, installed in Miami. Panamanian justice accused the former president of having spied on telephone conversations of about 150 people, including journalists and leaders of the opposition. Martinelli was arrested in Miami by U.S. Marshals on June 12, 2017 to face extradition to Panama. He was extradited to Panama on June 11, 2018 to face the wiretapping charges.[45] On August 9, 2019 a 3-judge panel declared Ricardo Martinelli not guilty, the court cleared the former president of espionage and corruption during his administration and ordered him released from house arrest.[46]

In Spain Edit

A Spanish court could not find Martinelli in 2022. He is suspected to have hired a private security outfit ("Group Kougar") in Mallorca, Spain, to spy on his lover while she was there in 2020. Group Kougar included members of the Spanish Civil Guard and Army. In 2021, the Spanish National Court accused Martinelli of corruption and money laundering in the construction of two lines of the Panama Metro and Ciudad de la Salud built by Odebrecht (see the Odebrecht Case), Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas and associates.[47]

"New Business" money laundering case Edit

On July 18, 2023, a criminal court in Panama sentenced Martinelli to more than 10 years in prison for money laundering, relating to the "New Business" case that dates back to 2017. The case concerns the 2010 purchase of a Panamanian national media company, with prosecutors claiming that Martinelli gave lucrative government contracts to businesses that later transferred money to the company "New Business", a front Martinelli used to purchase the company.[48]

References Edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Ricardo Martinelli, el magnate de supermercados que ofrece un cambio al país". EFE. April 28, 2009. from the original on March 14, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2010. (English Translation)
  2. ^ Barcelona Center for International Affairs: "Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal". Retrieved August 17, 2013 |Hijo de los señores Ricardo Martinelli, de ascendencia italiana, y Gloria Berrocal, de ascendencia española, nació en la capital del país pero se crió fundamentalmente en Soná, distrito de la provincia de Veraguas
  3. ^ a b c d e f Anthony G. Craine. . Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  4. ^ "Ricardo Martinelli: How a Supermarket Magnate Came to Lead the Nation". Latin Trade. February 2, 2010.
  5. ^ "A Supermarket King Defeats the Left". The Economist. May 7, 2009.
  6. ^ https://www.super99.com/sobre-nosotros.php (Spanish)
  7. ^ a b . BBC. May 3, 2009. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  8. ^ a b . The Economist. May 9, 2009. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  9. ^ a b Sara Miller Llana (May 3, 2009). . The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  10. ^ Lina Vega Abad (May 4, 2009). . La Prensa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 8, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
  11. ^ . CNN. July 2, 2009. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  12. ^ a b "The Earthbound Bite Back". The Economist. November 22, 2012.
  13. ^ a b c d "A Once-Vibrant City Struggles as Panama Races Ahead on a Wave of Prosperity". The New York Times. March 23, 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Doing Business in Panama". PanAmCham.
  15. ^ "GDP Per Capita". World Bank.
  16. ^ . Latin Trade. January 1, 2010. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  17. ^ "About Panama: Labor Force & Salaries". Business Panama.
  18. ^ "Coalition of the opposing: Why these 9 countries voted against Palestine at the U.N." The Washington Post. November 13, 2012.
  19. ^ Andres R. Martinez and Jens Erik Gould (April 30, 2010). . Bloomberg. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  20. ^ a b c . The Economist. July 14, 2011. Archived from the original on November 24, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  21. ^ a b . Fitch Group. June 2, 2011. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  22. ^ "Ricardo Martinelli aumentó la deuda pública en $10,440 millones". La Prensa. December 11, 2014.
  23. ^ . Fitch Group via Business Wire. March 23, 2010. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  24. ^ Mica Rosenberg (May 4, 2009). . Reuters. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  25. ^ Jim Abrams (October 13, 2011). . Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 21, 2014. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  26. ^ "Official Journal of the European Union". Access to European Union Law. December 12, 2015.
  27. ^ "A surprise winner promises to sweep Panamanian politics clean". The Economist. May 8, 2014.
  28. ^ a b "Bursts of Economic Growth in Panama Have Yet to Banish Old Ghosts". The New York Times. December 13, 2011.
  29. ^ Panama Seizes Two Tons of Cocaine, IHS Global Insight, June 29, 2012
  30. ^ Eric Sabo (June 9, 2010). . Bloomberg. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  31. ^ "The Republic of Panama's Sovereign Rating Outlook Revised to Positive from Stable on Stronger Growth". Standard & Poor's. July 21, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 6, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  32. ^ . Bloomberg BusinessWeek. March 24, 2010. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  33. ^ "Martinelli tiene más alta aprobación en América y Cristina Fernández la peor". ABC. Spain. January 19, 2010.
  34. ^ "Aprobación de mandatarios América y el Mundo" (PDF). Consulta Mitofsky. March 2014.
  35. ^ Juan Forero (July 22, 2012). . The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  36. ^ a b William Booth (December 27, 2010). . The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  37. ^ Louisa Reynolds (June 14, 2012). . NotiCen. Archived from the original on June 29, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  38. ^ Randal C. Archibold (December 11, 2011). . The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  39. ^ . University of Arkansas Newswire. February 20, 2010. Archived from the original on November 18, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  40. ^ . Archived from the original on November 14, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  41. ^ "Cidadãos Estrangeiros Agraciados com Ordens Portuguesas". Página Oficial das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  42. ^ . Telemetro. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
  43. ^ "Ricardo y Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares recibieron millones de Odebrecht". La Prensa. January 23, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  44. ^ "Former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli arrested in Coral Gables". The Miami Herald. June 12, 2017.
  45. ^ Meléndez, José (May 24, 2017). "La Interpol pide la captura de Ricardo Martinelli por un caso de espionaje". El País (in Spanish).
  46. ^ "Ricardo Martinelli former Panama President not guilty of spying". The Guardian. August 9, 2019.
  47. ^ Ballesteros, Esther (December 11, 2022). "El expresidente panameño ilocalizable que ordenó a guardias civiles de Mallorca espiar a su pareja por si tenía amantes". elDiario.es (in European Spanish). Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  48. ^ "Panama Ex-President Martinelli is sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering". ABC News. Retrieved July 18, 2023.

External links Edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ricardo Martinelli.
  • Ricardo Martinelli official web site (in English/Spanish)
  • Ricardo Martinelli official Biography (in English/Spanish)
  • Biography by CIDOB Foundation (in Spanish)
  • Tupolitica.com News (in Spanish)
  • Progress is proof that hunger can be eliminated n English
Political offices
Preceded by President of Panama
2009–2014 		Succeeded by

October 15, 2023
ricardo, martinelli, this, article, unclear, citation, style, references, used, made, clearer, with, different, consistent, style, citation, footnoting, april, 2021, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, confused, with, riccardo, martinelli, this, span. This article has an unclear citation style The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation and footnoting April 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Not to be confused with Riccardo Martinelli In this Spanish name the first or paternal surname is Martinelli and the second or maternal family name is Berrocal Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal GColIH born March 11 1951 is a Panamanian politician and businessman who was the 36th president of Panama from 2009 to 2014 Ricardo MartinelliGColIHMartinelli in 201336th President of PanamaIn office July 1 2009 July 1 2014Vice PresidentJuan Carlos VarelaPreceded byMartin TorrijosSucceeded byJuan Carlos VarelaPersonal detailsBornRicardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal 1951 03 11 March 11 1951 age 72 Panama City PanamaPolitical partyDemocratic Change until 2020 Realizing Goals 2021 SpouseMarta Linares 1978 present Alma materUniversity of Arkansas BSBA ReligionRoman Catholicism Contents 1 Early life 2 Business career 3 Politics 4 Presidency 2009 2014 4 1 Infrastructure investment 4 2 Pro business policies and tax reform 4 3 Rule of Law 4 4 Panama becomes investment grade 4 5 Reputation 5 Honors and awards 6 Personal life 6 1 Legal issues 6 1 1 Corruption charges 6 1 2 2017 U S arrest 6 1 3 In Spain 6 1 4 New Business money laundering case 7 References 8 External linksEarly life EditBorn in Panama City Ricardo Martinelli is the son of Ricardo Martinelli Pardini and Gloria Berrocal Fabrega 1 His father is of Italian descent and his mother is of Spanish descent 2 He completed his secondary education at Staunton Military Academy in Staunton Virginia in the United States In 1973 he graduated with a bachelor of science in business administration degree from the University of Arkansas where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity 3 Business career EditMartinelli began his career as a credit officer at Citibank in Panama After several years of banking he purchased the business of a client in turn becoming an entrepreneur buying or starting additional businesses 4 His net worth was estimated at 1 1 billion or more according to press reports The Economist stated that voters want him to run the country as well as he manages his businesses in response to his victory in the 2009 presidential election 5 As of 2009 he was the president and director of the board of Panamanian supermarket chain Super 99 1 and of two other companies From May 2009 he passed the presidency of Super 99 to Luis Enrique Martinelli 6 Politics EditDuring the presidency of Ernesto Perez Balladares Martinelli served as Director of Social security from 1994 to 1996 3 From September 1999 to January 2003 during the presidency of Mireya Moscoso he served as chairman of the board of directors of the Panama Canal and as the Minister for Canal Affairs 3 Martinelli was the president of the Democratic Change party which was founded in May 1998 1 3 He led the party and was the presidential candidate during the 2004 general election when his party came in last Martinelli received 5 3 of the vote and came in fourth and place in the election 7 Martinelli was the leader of Democratic Change and presidential candidate in the 2009 general election 1 He ran on a pro business platform promising to cut political corruption and reduce violent crime and spent an estimated 35 million on promoting his campaign By Election Day Martinelli was the favorite to win the election with opinion polls giving him a double digit lead over the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party PRD People s Party coalition 7 He had the support of the Alliance for Change a group of political parties that includes his own Democratic Change party the Panamenista Party the Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement and the Patriotic Union Party 1 His main opponent was PRD candidate Balbina Herrera Though initially the favorite 3 she was damaged in the election by her links to former military ruler Manuel Noriega 8 and by the perception that she was a Chavista a supporter of leftist Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez 9 Martinelli was also helped by strong support from the business community 3 On May 3 2009 Martinelli won the national election by a landslide with over 60 of the votes thanks to the alliance with who would be his vice president Juan Carlos Varela who contributed the votes of the Panamanian party 22 2 of the total compared to Herrera who received about 36 Former president Guillermo Endara finished a distant third 9 This was the second largest majority in Panamanian history and the largest since 1989 10 Martinelli s victory was an exception to a trend of victories for left leaning Latin American candidates 8 He was sworn in on July 1 2009 11 Presidency 2009 2014 EditMartinelli served as president from 2009 through 2014 Under Martinelli Panama enjoyed high economic growth As reported by The Economist in 2012 though it lies in Central America the poorest and most violent region in the West the country s 3 6m citizens are now richer than most Latin Americans 12 The following year The New York Times stated that Panama was booming with an average economic growth of 9 percent in the past five years the highest in Latin America 13 This prosperity widely benefited Panama with unemployment declining from 6 6 to 4 1 14 Income disparity also declined according to The Economist the incomes of the poorest 10 are now 35 times lower than those of the richest 10 rather than 60 times lower according to the finance ministry 12 Gross domestic product GDP grew by nearly half 13 while GDP per capita rose 11 from 9 982 in 2010 to 11 036 in 2014 15 Martinelli introduced a number of measures designed to alleviate poverty including a 100 monthly pension for the elderly an increase in the minimum wage and subsidies for students to meet the cost of uniforms and supplies 16 He also increased the minimum wage making it the highest in Latin America 17 He also implemented measures to help Colon an impoverished city on the Gulf Coast This included projects like a new highway connecting Panama and Colon the Canal expansion construction of a new hospital and other public works intended to help reduce unemployment and poverty The government also announced a 9 million project to rehabilitate Colon s seaside park 13 In 2012 Panama along with the U S was one of the few countries that voted against Palestine in a key U N vote 18 Infrastructure investment Edit As of 2010 Martinelli s administration announced plans ultimately fulfilled during his term to invest 20 billion over the next four years on infrastructure designed to enhance Panama s role as a global logistics hub and increase foreign direct investment 19 The plan included greater investment in roads hospitals sewers schools and a Panama City metro 20 Fitch Group called the ambitious public investment program part of Panama s highly favorable investment cycle 21 This plan ended up considerably increasing the public debt of the Panamanian state which reached 45 of GDP 22 The cornerstone of Martinelli s expansion program was the 5 3 billion expansion of the Panama Canal which was started by his predecessor Pro business policies and tax reform Edit Twice during his first year in office Martinelli proposed and signed into law tax reforms to simplify filings reduce rates and improve collection The number of income brackets was reduced from five to two the corporate tax rate was cut to 25 and delinquent collection was outsourced citation needed The tax reform imposed and collected taxes on a large swath of Panama s elite which had largely avoided significant taxation The program was not without controversy however A spokesperson for Fitch Group defended the tax reform underpin ned the government s commitment to sustainable fiscal policies 23 Martinelli oversaw the final approval of the Panama United States Trade Promotion Agreement which was signed more than two years before he took office but had not been finalized Martinelli had designated the completion of this agreement as his top priority upon taking office 24 The agreement was ratified by the US Congress on October 13 2011 25 He also oversaw 26 the approval of a comprehensive Association treaty with other regional countries and the European Union Through pro business policies Martinelli saw through the growth of Panama as an international transport and financial hub According to The Economist Its canal is becoming the backbone of a transoceanic logistics network Its airline Copa connects much of Latin America Its offshore banking sector sucks in Latin American money 27 Rule of Law Edit Martinelli also undertook efforts to strengthen the rule of law in Panama and to create greater transparency in its institutions this had some success 28 According to the New York Times in 2011 American law enforcement officials while giving the country credit for improving its police forces and cooperation with international agencies still consider it a major money laundering haven Furthermore they report that In the past two years Panama has signed agreements with 12 countries including the United States to exchange tax and other information upon request a tool to investigate financial criminals 28 In addition Martinelli upheld and reinforced drug trafficking laws throughout his presidency In 2012 alone the Panamanian government seized over 11 tons of cocaine as reported by IHS 29 Panama becomes investment grade Edit During Martinelli s term Panama s sovereign debt rating was upgraded to investment grade by Fitch Moody s and Standard amp Poor s 30 Fitch had upgraded Panama twice 21 since Martinelli took office and Standard amp Poor s followed its upgrade with a revised positive outlook 31 The Fitch upgrade was described as a victory for conservative President Ricardo Martinelli who has pushed two tax reforms through Congress since taking office 32 Martinelli s policies contributed to credit upgrades but also robust increases in foreign direct investment FDI During his tenure FDI rose from 1 259 3 billion in 2009 to 4 651 3 billion in 2013 14 According to the New York Times direct investment in real estate was exemplified by the tallest building in Latin America a 70 story Trump hotel and condo tower further growth in financial services banking is booming with well heeled foreign transplants spending on local services and goods 13 Reputation Edit Martinelli experienced high popularity ratings during his term of office at one time in excess of 90 the highest in the Americas at the time 33 In 2014 when he was preparing to leave office his approval rating was still high at 65 34 The Democratic Change Party has continued to see strong legislative support with Martinelli at its leader it continues to hold the biggest bloc of 30 seats versus 12 seats for Panamenista Party in the 71 seat National Assembly Martinelli remains the leader of Panama s opposition party Martinelli has also been criticized in the local and international media In 2011 The Economist described the foreign investment as still hurt by doubts about the rule of law citing suspected corruption in the bidding for the metro contract and the flooding of a wealthy Panama City neighborhood with sewage due to a lack of enforcement of planning laws 20 Martinelli was also criticized during his presidency for authoritarian tactics He sought to reduce the time period before the president could run for re election though he withdrew when it proved unfeasible He was accused of tampering with the Supreme Court 20 35 In August 2009 the US Ambassador to Panama Barbara J Stephenson wrote to the US State Department that Martinelli had asked her for wiretaps on his political opponents and she complained of his bullying style and autocratic tendencies 36 A copy of the cable was released in December 2010 by WikiLeaks After the leak Martinelli s administration said that help in tapping the telephones of politicians was never requested and that Stephenson was mistaken in her interpretation 36 37 In December 2011 former military ruler Manuel Noriega was extradited from France to Panama by Martinelli s government Critics charged that Martinelli had requested the extradition to turn public attention away from administration scandals an accusation denied by Panamanian government 38 Honors and awards EditOn February 20 2010 the University of Arkansas established the Ricardo A Martinelli Berrocal Scholarship to provide financial aid to prospective University of Arkansas students from Panama He was also presented with the Citation of Distinguished Alumnus award and was made an official ambassador of the State of Arkansas by Governor Mike Beebe 39 On June 16 2013 received and acknowledgement from the FAO in Rome Italy for helping to reduce the child malnutrition in the Panamanian territory It took place during the 38th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAO Conference Martinelli was awarded besides other thirty seven countries nbsp Knight Grand Cross Special Class of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies July 28 2012 40 nbsp Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry Portugal July 29 2013 41 Personal life EditIn 1978 Martinelli married Marta Linares with whom he has three children Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares and Carolina Martinelli Linares 42 Ricardo and Luis Enrique are accused of having received at least 22 million dollars of the Brazilian company Odebrecht involved in a vast scandal of corruption The money had then been hidden on bank accounts in Switzerland 43 Legal issues Edit Corruption charges Edit After leaving power in July 2014 the government of his successor Juan Carlos Varela launched a series of investigations related to cost overruns during the Martinelli government In the investigations of the National Aid Program PAN cost overruns of more than 45 million dollars in dehydrated food were detected In the investigations two former directors have been arrested Giacomo Tamburelli and Rafael Guardia In the statements both pointed out that Martinelli had ordered both purchases with cost overruns 53 After an investigation the case was closed without evidence against the former president since the Judicial Branch recognized that it could not gather elements of conviction to prove the prosecution Given the allegations on January 28 2015 an investigation was launched against Martinelli with the unanimous vote of all the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice for alleged crimes against the public administration However Martinelli had left Panama hours earlier for Guatemala City headquarters of the Central American Parliament Parlacen of which he serves as a deputy and as such argues that he has jurisdiction against criminal proceedings which in 2012 he had described as cave of thieves Relying on the fact that as a former president he is a Parlacen deputy he denounced the current government in harsh terms and accusing President Varela of wanting to assassinate him however the plenary session of Parlacen affirmed that he had no immunity since if the National Assembly of Panama did not grants parliamentary immunity to local deputies the Parlacen cannot either After reporting what he described as a persecution against him to Parlacen Martinelli took refuge in Miami Additionally Martinelli has proceedings open for espionage and telephone interception of more than 150 people during his mandate most of them opponents including businessmen independent journalists and magistrates Because he was still in the United States and did not attend the preliminary hearing on December 11 2015 he was declared in default by the guarantee judge Jeronimo Mejia and went to the plenary session of the Supreme Court of Justice of Panama on whether Martinelli would be called to a hearing ordering his provisional arrest on December 21 2017 U S arrest Edit On June 12 2017 Martinelli was arrested at Coral Gables in south Florida after a provisional arrest warrant issued by the U S Justice Department in response to a request from Panama and was set to appear on Federal Court 44 Martinelli and Manuel Antonio Noriega are the only Panamanian political leaders detained in the US for judicial processes of institutional gravity In May 2017 Interpol issued a red notice request for international arrest for the extradition of Ricardo Martinelli installed in Miami Panamanian justice accused the former president of having spied on telephone conversations of about 150 people including journalists and leaders of the opposition Martinelli was arrested in Miami by U S Marshals on June 12 2017 to face extradition to Panama He was extradited to Panama on June 11 2018 to face the wiretapping charges 45 On August 9 2019 a 3 judge panel declared Ricardo Martinelli not guilty the court cleared the former president of espionage and corruption during his administration and ordered him released from house arrest 46 In Spain Edit A Spanish court could not find Martinelli in 2022 He is suspected to have hired a private security outfit Group Kougar in Mallorca Spain to spy on his lover while she was there in 2020 Group Kougar included members of the Spanish Civil Guard and Army In 2021 the Spanish National Court accused Martinelli of corruption and money laundering in the construction of two lines of the Panama Metro and Ciudad de la Salud built by Odebrecht see the Odebrecht Case Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas and associates 47 New Business money laundering case Edit On July 18 2023 a criminal court in Panama sentenced Martinelli to more than 10 years in prison for money laundering relating to the New Business case that dates back to 2017 The case concerns the 2010 purchase of a Panamanian national media company with prosecutors claiming that Martinelli gave lucrative government contracts to businesses that later transferred money to the company New Business a front Martinelli used to purchase the company 48 References Edit a b c d e Ricardo Martinelli el magnate de supermercados que ofrece un cambio al pais EFE April 28 2009 Archived from the original on March 14 2013 Retrieved May 23 2010 English Translation Barcelona Center for International Affairs Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal Retrieved August 17 2013 Hijo de los senores Ricardo Martinelli de ascendencia italiana y Gloria Berrocal de ascendencia espanola nacio en la capital del pais pero se crio fundamentalmente en Sona distrito de la provincia de Veraguas a b c d e f Anthony G Craine Ricardo Martinelli Encyclopaedia Britannica Archived from the original on October 25 2012 Retrieved November 4 2012 Ricardo Martinelli How a Supermarket Magnate Came to Lead the Nation Latin Trade February 2 2010 A Supermarket King Defeats the Left The Economist May 7 2009 https www super99 com sobre nosotros php Spanish a b Tycoon elected Panama president BBC May 3 2009 Archived from the original on October 17 2012 Retrieved May 3 2009 a b Super 09 Panama s presidential election The Economist May 9 2009 Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved November 4 2012 a b Sara Miller Llana May 3 2009 Conservative supermarket tycoon wins Panama vote The Christian Science Monitor Archived from the original on October 18 2016 Retrieved November 4 2012 Lina Vega Abad May 4 2009 Cifras techos y realidades La Prensa in Spanish Archived from the original on May 8 2009 Retrieved March 4 2009 Supermarket tycoon sworn in as Panama president CNN July 2 2009 Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved November 4 2012 a b The Earthbound Bite Back The Economist November 22 2012 a b c d A Once Vibrant City Struggles as Panama Races Ahead on a Wave of Prosperity The New York Times March 23 2013 a b Doing Business in Panama PanAmCham GDP Per Capita World Bank Split with the past with Panama s Ricardo Martinelli and EL Salvador s Mauricio Funes both Looking to be paradigms for successful government in the Americas will ideology take a backseat to ruling from the center Latin Trade January 1 2010 Archived from the original on February 21 2014 Retrieved November 6 2012 About Panama Labor Force amp Salaries Business Panama Coalition of the opposing Why these 9 countries voted against Palestine at the U N The Washington Post November 13 2012 Andres R Martinez and Jens Erik Gould April 30 2010 Panama s Infrastructure Spending to Help Economy Grow 6 Martinelli Says Bloomberg Archived from the original on August 12 2014 Retrieved November 4 2012 a b c A Singapore for Central America The Economist July 14 2011 Archived from the original on November 24 2012 Retrieved November 4 2012 a b Fitch Upgrades Panama s Ratings to BBB Outlook Revised to Stable Fitch Group June 2 2011 Archived from the original on August 12 2014 Retrieved November 4 2012 Ricardo Martinelli aumento la deuda publica en 10 440 millones La Prensa December 11 2014 Fitch Upgrades Panama s L T Foreign amp Local Currency IDRs to BBB Positive Outlook Fitch Group via Business Wire March 23 2010 Archived from the original on August 12 2014 Retrieved November 6 2012 Mica Rosenberg May 4 2009 Panama s president elect to push US trade deal Reuters Archived from the original on August 12 2014 Retrieved November 4 2012 Jim Abrams October 13 2011 Congress passes 3 free trade agreements Associated Press Archived from the original on September 21 2014 Retrieved November 4 2012 Official Journal of the European Union Access to European Union Law December 12 2015 A surprise winner promises to sweep Panamanian politics clean The Economist May 8 2014 a b Bursts of Economic Growth in Panama Have Yet to Banish Old Ghosts The New York Times December 13 2011 Panama Seizes Two Tons of Cocaine IHS Global Insight June 29 2012 Eric Sabo June 9 2010 Panama Raised to Investment Grade by Moody s Matching Moves by S amp P Fitch Bloomberg Archived from the original on November 13 2012 Retrieved November 4 2012 The Republic of Panama s Sovereign Rating Outlook Revised to Positive from Stable on Stronger Growth Standard amp Poor s July 21 2011 Archived from the original PDF on November 6 2012 Retrieved November 4 2012 Fitch Panama s debt now investment grade Bloomberg BusinessWeek March 24 2010 Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved November 6 2012 Martinelli tiene mas alta aprobacion en America y Cristina Fernandez la peor ABC Spain January 19 2010 Aprobacion de mandatarios America y el Mundo PDF Consulta Mitofsky March 2014 Juan Forero July 22 2012 Latin America s new authoritarians The Washington Post Archived from the original on October 1 2012 Retrieved November 4 2012 a b William Booth December 27 2010 Mexican request for U S help in drug war detailed The Washington Post Archived from the original on March 29 2015 Retrieved November 4 2012 Louisa Reynolds June 14 2012 President Ricardo Martinelli is Panama s most unpopular president says recent poll NotiCen Archived from the original on June 29 2014 Retrieved October 29 2012 Randal C Archibold December 11 2011 Noriega Is Sent to Prison Back in Panama Where the Terror Has Turned to Shrugs The New York Times Archived from the original on January 2 2013 Retrieved November 4 2012 President Ricardo Martinelli Visits Campus University of Arkansas Newswire February 20 2010 Archived from the original on November 18 2012 Retrieved November 6 2012 President and First Lady of Panama honoured by Constantinian Order at London Ceremony Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George Archived from the original on November 14 2016 Retrieved November 13 2016 Cidadaos Estrangeiros Agraciados com Ordens Portuguesas Pagina Oficial das Ordens Honorificas Portuguesas Retrieved January 29 2017 Ricardo Martinelli Telemetro Archived from the original on July 12 2012 Retrieved August 31 2012 Ricardo y Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares recibieron millones de Odebrecht La Prensa January 23 2017 Retrieved October 21 2019 Former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli arrested in Coral Gables The Miami Herald June 12 2017 Melendez Jose May 24 2017 La Interpol pide la captura de Ricardo Martinelli por un caso de espionaje El Pais in Spanish Ricardo Martinelli former Panama President not guilty of spying The Guardian August 9 2019 Ballesteros Esther December 11 2022 El expresidente panameno ilocalizable que ordeno a guardias civiles de Mallorca espiar a su pareja por si tenia amantes elDiario es in European Spanish Retrieved December 12 2022 Panama Ex President Martinelli is sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering ABC News Retrieved July 18 2023 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ricardo Martinelli Ricardo Martinelli official web site in English Spanish Ricardo Martinelli official Biography in English Spanish Biography by CIDOB Foundation in Spanish Tupolitica com News in Spanish Progress is proof that hunger can be eliminated n EnglishPolitical officesPreceded byMartin Torrijos President of Panama2009 2014 Succeeded byJuan Carlos Varela Portals nbsp Business nbsp Panama nbsp Politics Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ricardo Martinelli amp oldid 1178583769, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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