Our beloved president Ricardo Martinelli is off to Colombia in search of entrepreneurs who want to launder money in Panama (euphemistically called "foreign investment" by government and business people) and meanwhile the gusanos who populate the National Assembly are doing their utmost best to obtain a national state of Total Corruption.
Two of those enlightened insects, Hernán Delgado and Agustín Shelhorn (both of the governing alliance) tried to slip a law through last night that makes street protests a crime, punishable with up to 15 months of imprisonment. They must have been looking at Cuba for guidance on how to establish complete impunity for the corrupt ruling class. Their bid failed, but Hora Cero reports that they haven't given up on this draconian idea.
Then, we have an "anti-corruption czar" who refuses to talk about corruption. El Panama America asked him about his views on the thieves in the legislature having sneakily exempted themselves from the 25% increase in taxes on cars worth more than $25,000 - a measure that is part of the tax "reforms". The czar, Fernando Núñez Fábrega, fell silent and then announced that he wouldn't give any interviews to El Panama America, because they "haven't treated him well". Such a little Napoleon!