Rubén Blades after elections in Panama: “Corruption won, but democratically!”

The Panamanian singer-songwriter Rubén Blades noted this Monday that “corruption won, but democratically” after the presidential victory on the eve of José Raúl Mulinothe dolphin of former president Ricardo Martinelli, with 34% in the general elections of Panama.

“I write these lines with great regret. I was completely wrong to believe that JR (José Raúl) Mulino he would not be elected president of Panama“Blades wrote on his blog ‘La Esquina’.

“On the contrary, in a public demonstration of support for corruption, a candidate chosen ‘by hand’ by a convicted and fugitive declared corrupt, with only 33% of the votes in today’s election, May 5, 2024 has become the new president of the Republic of Panama, despite the combined rejection of 67% of the rest of the electorate“added the famous singer.

Mulino He replaced Martinelli as presidential candidate in these elections after he was disqualified due to a sentence of more than 10 years in prison for money laundering, which led him to seek asylum in the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama.

Mulino She had a controversial candidacy in extremis that until 48 hours before the elections was pending before the Supreme Court of Justice after being sued for her alleged “unconstitutionality” by not being elected in primaries or having a candidate for vice president, as established by the Magna Carta.

Bladescritic of the former president Martinelli whom on other occasions he has called “corrupt”, he questioned the “How can we insist to youth that civic virtue is superior to opportunism, to cheating, to ‘playing alive’? Almost 900,000 (nine hundred thousand people) gave their approval to Ricardo Martinelli, voting for their chosen one.”

“That is the harsh reality”added the multiple Grammy Award winner and former Panamanian Minister of Tourism bluntly.

Said “for months” had the “hope that this result would not occur“, because he knows that the country ““It has a spirit, a special soul that makes it wonderfully unique.”

“Young people like Juan Diego Vásquez and Gabriel Silva, and those who participated in the ‘Vamos por Panamá’ coalition as candidates, confirm my certainty that Panama can create honest and intelligent responses with which to carve out an honorable and successful destiny, despite the sorrows and disappointments that many of us experience today”described the singer-songwriter.

Blades refers to the ‘Vamos’ platform, which he himself supported when he went out to campaign with those young independent deputies who won 19 seats in Parliament in these elections.

“Let us then prepare our minds and souls for what is coming. I fear that it will not be what some think will happen, a magical period of prosperity and unlimited progress for Panama.“said the former minister, since Mulino promised a Government “pro private company” to revive the Panamanian economy, one of his campaign commitments.

And Blades concluded: “However you try to make up the matter, a convicted, corrupt and fugitive from justice has won the presidency of our republic through his anointed figurehead, with the direct vote of a people self-condemned for their irresponsibility and their refusal to consider the benefit that can result from living and accepting the consequences of civic honesty and rejecting the poison of clientelism and ‘playing alive’”.