Hello, and welcome to the Latin America Weekly newsletter! In this issue: The victory of a last-minute presidential candidate in Panama. Javier Milei’s pro-Western foreign agenda. And astonishing deforestation figures in Chile.
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Mulino vows “bright economic future” for Panama
In a turbulent election for Panamanian standards, over 2.2 million voters of the small nation elected as president for a five-year term José Raúl Mulino, a 64-year-old conservative lawyer whose bid was cleared by local top courts just two days before Sunday’s single-round vote.
Protégé. Considered an unexpected president even by himself, Mr. Mulino almost retired from politics last year, but later accepted to run for vice president on a ticket led by popular former President Ricardo Martinelli — who was en route to reclaiming power, according to all polls.
- Everything changed, however, when controversial Mr. Martinelli was disqualified by electoral courts in March due to a decade-long conviction for money laundering, making Mr. Mulino the natural heir to Mr. Martinelli’s popularity among voters.
Yes, but … Things would become darker when...