Anyone who regularly reads this site will know that we're not about attracting heaps of advertisers, pumping real estate or any other kind of sales hype. Bananama Republic is too snarky and too controversial to be a commercial success in a country with a media market as small as Panama. However, just like predecessor Noriegaville, we succeed in what no other blog in this country accomplishes: Drive stories and issues into the mainstream. That's because we're read by smart people and opinion makers. Remember: pedophiles marketing "special vacations" in Bocas del Toro. HSBC seizing all assets of a critical customer. A minister sitting on the board of criminal enterprise "Prime Forestry" while the president promotes it. Just a few examples of stories we broke and which were then picked up or simply copied by the "regular" media. Ruben Blades once even printed a story we did mocking his 30-day tourist visa and handed copies to everyone present at a cabinet meeting, fuming with anger: This is how they write about us!
Yes, this is how we write about you. And now we have another success to report: The story about MLM scheme "Emerald Passport" having a former KKK chief and coup plotter host seminars in Panama has been picked up by The Panama News and today by The Panama Star (part of La Estrella). And then Canada's The National Post followed. Mission accomplished!