The leading candidate to be Panama’s next president is a last-minute stand-in who promises to return the Central American country to a boom time that experts say will be difficult to recapture.
José Raúl Mulino, a maritime lawyer and former security minister, was thrust to the top of the presidential ticket after Panama ’s electoral authorities ruled former President Ricardo Martinelli ineligible following his money laundering conviction and sentencing. The presidential candidate of Achieving Goals, Jose Raul Mulino, addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Panama City, Sunday, April 28, 2024. Panama will hold general elections on May 5.
A factor in the economic deceleration is the Supreme Court’s decision to declare as unconstitutional legislation that granted a 20-year concession to a huge copper mine. The decision came after weeks of street protests by a wide slice of Panamanian society roiled by concerns over water access —The extended drought has also reduced traffic through the Panama Canal, a critical economic engine for the country.
That fact is not lost on Mulino, who is seldom seen without his blue “Martinelli Mulino 2024” cap and who has promised to help Martinelli if elected. Fidedigna Pérez, a 73-year-old retiree living with her son, agreed. “This man is serious. People think he’s arrogant, but I know that he can help us bring down food prices, help the poor. That’s why Martinelli made him the candidate.”
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