Martinelli’s mental issues may cost Panama millions

Is Martinelli using some sort of weird drug?

Our beloved president Ricardo Martinelli is trying to do a political version of the famous Leonard - Duran II boxing match which, as you may remember, ended with the Panamanian Roberto Durán begging "no más, no más".

Is Martinelli a masochist? It sure looks that way. He's heading for a frontal crash with the labor unions representing construction workers and teachers, who will decide next Saturday about a general strike.

And then, Martinelli is heading for more disaster in the international arena now that his yes-men in the upper judicial madhouse of the country, also known as the Supreme Court, have denied Ana Matilde Gomez permission to travel to Washington and attend a hearing of the OAS Inter American Commission for Human Rights. Panama has been called to appear there to explain wacky policies like stacking the same Supreme Court with questionable figures in questionable ways and the ouster by Martinelli of the Attorney General and replacing her with a puppet-procurador.  Gomez's absence will guaranteed raise a number of thorny questions from the OAS and Martinelli's bungled handling of state affairs in general and this case in particular may very well cost Panama in terms of reputation and millions of dollars.

So why is Martinelli squandering the country like this? Because he's a right-wing reckless egomaniac, that's why.