Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 13 June 2019
Panama: Former President Martinelli receives house arrest

By KATHIA MARTINEZ was repatriated from Miami
Associated Press on June 11 last year. Since
PANAMA (AP) - Panama- then, he was detained in
nian President Ricardo a jail outside the capital
Martinelli, accused of po- while the oral trial was be-
litical espionage during ing held, which is at the wit-
his administration, spent ness presentation stage.
Wednesday from prison to Martinelli is accused of
confinement, according spending millions of dol-
to a judicial measure ques- lars inappropriately for the
tioned by some of the al- purchase from Israel of so-
leged victims. phisticated equipment with
The court of three judges which he would have in-
handling the case gave tercepted the illegal com-
the order in response to a munications of at least 150
request from the defense people.
on the eve of a year of Among those presumed
preventive detention since to be affected are Presi-
Martinelli was extradited dent Juan Carlos Varela,
by the United States to re- a brother of his who is a
spond to justice in his na- deputy, as well as several
tive Panama. The measure figures of the Democratic
does not stop the trial that In this Nov. 19, 2018 file photo, Panama’s former President President Ricardo Martinelli answers Revolutionary Party (PRD),
takes place since his return. journalists questions as he raises his handcuffed hands, holding a book, while escorted by police the largest of the opposi-
The Judicial Body reported to a hearing at the Supreme Court in Panama City. tion and whose candidate
in its Twitter account that Associated Press Laurentino Cortizo won the
the court “orders the ces- victims of the so-called ments to local television. pleased, “the wife of the presidential election on
sation of provisional deten- “punctures,” said the ruling According to the defense, former president, Marta Li- May 5; some journalists and
tion of the former president creates a precedent for the court prohibited Marti- nares, told the media out- union leaders and civil soci-
of the republic for the pe- other cases and that cre- nelli from using social net- side the courtroom. ety.
riod of one year and im- ates the risk that the former works, making statements The defense, however, “It is a Solomonic mea-
poses the measure of dom- president will disregard the to the media and withdrew sought that Martinelli be sure,” said human rights
iciliary deposit.” Martinelli process from now on. He his passport to prevent him allowed to mobilize nation- activist Magaly Castillo, re-
was transferred early from said that Martinelli refused from leaving the coun- ally or what is called “coun- ferring to the fact that the
the courtroom to his home, before his arrest in the Unit- try. Also, he will have surveil- try by jail.” The court sched- judges took more than 11
where hours later he was ed States in 2017 to appear lance in his house in a well- uled a hearing to resolve hours to decree a change
seen outside waving and before Panamanian jus- off area of the capital and appeals on Friday. of precautionary measure
carrying a puppy. tice. must receive authorization The 67-year-old supermar- that probably does not fully
The opposition Balbina Her- “For us, there is a danger of for his medical check-ups. ket magnate, who gov- satisfy either party. “It is not
rera, one of the alleged flight,” Herrera said in state- “Is an advance. We are erned from 2009 to 2014, a case any, nor easy”.q

Mexico says Guard deployment beginning, forms migrant team

By MARCO UGARTE Suchiate River that forms ing to the border with the
MARÍA VERZA the border between the United States to attend to
Associated Press two countries, the usual migrants who have been
TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) drip-drip of irregular cross- returned to Mexico while
— Mexican officials said ings by small groups on ru- their asylum claims are pro-
Tuesday they are begin- dimentary rafts continued. cessed in U.S. courts.
ning deployment of the Also Tuesday, Interior Secre- As part of the deal reached
country’s new National tary Olga Sánchez Cordero last Friday with Washing-
Guard for immigration en- said the National Guard will ton, Mexico agreed to an
forcement, an acceler- not resemble the U.S. Bor- expansion of the program
ated commitment of a der Patrol in the sense that known as Migrant Protec-
6,000-strong force made as it will work to regularize im- tion Protocol, though the
part of an agreement with migration flows, not stop it, United States has run into its
the United States to head and be deployed through- own logistical obstacles to
off threatened U.S. tariffs on out the country. ramping it up.
imports from Mexico. Mexican marines ride in the back of a pick up truck as they Ebrard did not mention de- Ebrard said it would be ex-
President Andrés Manuel escort the caravan carrying Mexico’s Minister of Defense, in tentions, which have risen panded from the current
López Obrador and Foreign Tapachula, Mexico, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. notably in recent months, three border points to three
Relations Secretary Marce- Associated Press but said there is a need to more that will be decided
lo Ebrard also announced the Tapachula military zone and return those who don’t expand and improve over- in talks with the U.S. officials
that a team of five officials, near the border with Gua- want to register, he added. crowded immigration fa- this week.
including a general and a temala, will begin a tour of The Associated Press has cilities that operate as de There have been more than
prison director, has been the south “to speed up the not yet seen any National facto detention centers. 11,000 returns by migrants
formed to implement the deployment in the area.” Guard deployment in Ta- He said later Tuesday at to Mexico under MPP since
immigration plan. The main objective is to pachula, where soldiers a news conference that it launched in January, ac-
Ebrard said that Gen. Vi- register migrants, offer and federal police have the deployment would be cording to the most recent
cente Antonio Hernández them options for regulariz- been working to support “along the entire frontier.” figures from the Mexican
Sánchez, commander of ing their immigration status immigration agents. At the Another deployment is go- government.q