Panama presidency won by stand-in for fugitive
José Raúl Mulino was the stand-in candidate for disqualified former president Ricardo Martinelli
What happened
José Raúl Mulino, a last-minute stand-in for barred former President Ricardo Martinelli, won Panama's presidency Sunday. Mulino, 64, was Martinelli's running mate before the former president was convicted of money laundering and sentenced to five years in prison. He has been campaigning for Mulino from inside the Nicaraguan Embassy, where he was granted asylum. Mulino's 35% put him 9 percentage points ahead of his main challengers, all of whom conceded Sunday night.
Who said what
When Martinelli "invited me to be vice president, I never imagined this," Mulino told supporters. It is "a very bizarre situation, unprecedented" not just in Panama "but any other Latin American country that I can think of," Michael Shifter at Inter-American Dialogue said to The Associated Press. It's still unclear whether Mulino will be "Martinelli's puppet" or chart his own path, he added.
What next?
With Panama's crippling drought, slowed economic growth and endemic corruption, "this next president will have to be a masochist president," Daniel Zovatto, a global fellow at the Wilson Center, said to The New York Times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 18, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - a rocky road, innovative legislation, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 arguably hilarious cartoons about the 2024 presidential debate
Cartoons Artists take on the candidates' age gap, sleepyheads, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: a solid summer blockbuster
The Week Recommends The big-money movie might be 'a bit silly' but the effects are excellent
By The Week UK Published
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPB
Speed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US makes first Gaza aid delivery from floating pier
Speed Read Israeli restrictions on border crossings have prevented food and supplies from reaching Gaza citizens
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Fico assassination attempt exposes deep divisions in Slovakia
The Explainer Violence lays bare the growing schism between older, nationalist Slovaks and younger, pro-Western liberals
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Slovak prime minister 'will survive' after being shot
Speed Read Prime Minister Robert Fico is in a stable but serious condition
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden and Trump agree to 2 debates, starting in June
Speed Read CNN will host the first debate on June 27
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Georgia erupts in fury as 'Russian law' passes
Speed Read The "foreign influence" bill is reminiscent of legislation Putin previously passed, with the intent to silence critics
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Maryland primaries tee up competitive Senate race
Speed Read Former Republican governor Larry Hogan will face Democrat Angela Alsobrooks in a bid for US Senate seat
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Cohen ties Trump directly to hush-money scheme
Speed Read Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen implicates him in testimony about paying off Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published