Martinelli's substitute wins in Panama and lives up to predictions
José Raúl Mulino, the candidate charged with replacing banned, refugee but popular former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli in the general election, took his country's presidency on Sunday. Martinelli is credited with the Central American nation's last economic boom, and Mulino appealed to that fond memory. But as we always urge, it would be good to go back and ask ourselves, or better, Panamanians: who grew up then? Panamá has lived through convulsive recent months, all marked by pervasive corruption and the ensuing institutional crisis. The people showed their dissatisfaction with the nation's state, relegating the ruling party to an embarrassing fifth place, so out of the podium and with a shaky electoral flow.
The candidacy of Mulino—a moody, pro-business, right-wing guy who wants to close the Darién and has had his judicial skirmishes for corruption—was in doubt until a few hours before the beginning of the election. Several polls—if not all—gave him as the favorite, taking advantage of Martinelli's political capital. The latter remains a host in the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama City after being accused of corruption. Mulino firmly surpassed the 700,000 vote barrier, beating the runner-up by more than 9 points. Nevertheless, the interesting atomization of the vote could complicate governance in a country full of socio-political wounds.
SourceThe migratory crisis
Irregular migration through México continues to rise. Official data show that in the first quarter of this year, the number of migrants intercepted by the Aztec authorities tripled. Some 360,000 migrants have been detected “in an irregular migratory situation”, a quarter of them Venezuelans. The figure represents 46% of all those intercepted in 2023. After Venezuelans—with about 90,000 registered—come migrants from Honduras (37,323), Ecuador (36,956), Guatemala (36,934), Colombia (21,534), Nicaragua (18,711), El Salvador (17,720), Haiti (16,791) and Cuba (10,464).
A well-known migrant shelter in Tapachula, Chiapas state (source).Cuba
Discovery Therapeutics Caribe received authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to conduct Phase III clinical trials at the end of the year with the promising Cuban drug Heberprot-P, used by some 20 countries in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. This is the first time its efficacy will be explored in U.S. patients.
Betting on China
In the framework of the International Tourism Fair held in an important resort of the country, Cuba announced that it will exempt Chinese citizens from visa requirements. The Asian giant will also be on the cover of the next edition. By the way, direct Beijing-Havana flights are expected to resume in the middle of this month, in another of the Cuban authorities' bets to revive a critical sector of the national economy, which was once the country's second source of foreign currency. Several independent experts argue that it has been overshadowed by remittances.
Floods in Brazil
A disproportionate amount of rainfall in recent days caused flooding of unprecedented magnitude in Brazil. Late Sunday, the death toll in the tragedy, probably the worst ever in the southern part of the South American giant, was estimated at around 80.
Increíbles imágenes del aeropuerto de Porto Alegre totalmente bajo agua, debido a las inundaciones que afectan el sur del Brasil 🇧🇷
— Radio Ñandutí (@nanduti) May 5, 2024
👉Hoy domingo las autoridades del vecino país, informaron la cifra de 76 personas fallecidas, mientras que otras 103 permanecen desaparecidas,… pic.twitter.com/UWS2LIxvFn
And this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.
I am a little confused by the conflicting information regarding sources of migrants in the media. China is claimed by US media to be the source of hundreds of thousands of migrants a year, yet they don't show up in your figures at all. Weird.
Thanks!
I really appreciate your clearing up my confusion.