The recent detention of former labor minister Alma Cortes represents the latest in a series of attacks by the Varela administration against political opponents.
Family members of the former minister have accused the government of violating her legal rights. They also denounced the premeditated nature of the government’s action.
Ms. Cortes was originally supposed to be interrogated in the Avesa building. However, she was questioned in a national police building in Ancon by anti-corruption prosecutor Aurelio Vasquez. Her interrogation is scheduled to continue today.
Yesterday, a group of Cambio Democratico party sympathizers was seen protesting against her preventive detention in front of the Avesa building, denouncing this latest in a series of acts of judicial persecution carried out by the current government.
Local lawyer Carlos Carrillo questioned the rationale behind Ms. Cortes' detention in a police cell, refuting claims that her poor health was an impediment to her being moved to the Avesa building for further interrogation.
Another lawyer, Silvio Guerra, was emphatic in his condemnation of the preventive detention measure applied against Ms. Cortes. “As I have declared in television interviews, the question at hand is not whether there was any wrongdoing on the part of Ms. Cortes - that will transpire during the course of the legal proceedings. The problem the country faces is one of highly selective and politicized use of justice", he denounced.
Mr. Guerra went on to explain that “the manner in which prosecutors have formulated charges against Ms. Cortes lays bare their complete disrespect for the rule of law, as well as for the principle of presumption of innocence".
Candice Williams, leader of the women's chapter of Cambio Democratico (CD), also cast doubt on the procedural course of the investigation. "The fact that this is the quickest investigation in the history of Panama should raise some eyebrows concerning its impartiality", she declared.
Ms. Williams pointed the finger directly at President Juan Carlos Varela for forcing the hands of the judiciary to act against Ms. Cortes. "She turned up voluntarily for questioning only to be detained preventively - this was obviously a set up", denounced Ms. Williams, decrying the violation of Ms. Cortes’ human rights at the hands of the country’s judiciary.
Lourdes Cortes, the former minister’s sister, echoed those feelings. She pointed out how her sister, a professional lawyer with 25 years' experience, produced a sworn declaration of her income and assets at the beginning and at the end of her government's mandate. "My sister was totally transparent because she had nothing to hide", she declared.
Similarly, former deputy minister for commerce, Luis Eduardo Camacho Jr., denounced how details of the investigation against Ms. Cortes first appeared in a local, pro-government newspaper. In the article in question, attempts were made to link Ms. Cortes to unrelated companies with no connection to the investigation at hand.
