Nepotism in Martinelli’s new appointments

PANAMA. President elect, Ricardo Martinelli, has received a lot of criticism for his recent appointments to key posts in the government.

Many of his appointees are widely unknown and are people who have helped him to build his business empire.

Members of Importadora Ricamar and Super 99 will be working for the National Security Council, the Labor Minister, the Radio and Television State System, the Agricultural Investigation Institute (IDIAP) and the Formation of Human Resources Institute (IFARHU).

Martinelli says he is determined to bring about change and has put at the front of his government people he can trust and who will give him the support he needs to carry out his plans for the country. He says they have the necessary capacity to do the work.

For most people, security is one of the main priorities due to the wave of violence that has swept over the country and the failure of the Torrijos administration to control it.

Martinelli has decided to appoint former military man Jaime Trujillo, as his new chief of the Security National Council.

Trujillo has been in charge of security for Martinelli’s supermarkets for many years and as such has the complete confidence of Martinelli.

Trujillo’s ascension to power, together with the controversial designation of Gustavo Perez as the chief of the National Police, puts the country’s security in the hands of two former military men.

Angelica Maytin from International Transparency said that she is worried about the militarization of the security because it goes against what was agreed in the 90s when it was decided that the police director should be a civilian.

Maytin added that “in order to fight crime what is needed is good policemen not recycled military men.”

The appointments of Sonia Luzcando at IFARHU and that of sister-in-law Marisin Luzcando for SerTV went unnoticed by the media.

The daughter and daughter in law of Delia Luzcando, general manager of Importadora Ricamar and Martinelli’s right hand for the last 30 years.

It is questioned whether they have the right qualifications to do the jobs they have been appointed for.

Two other interesting appointments are the new director of IDIAP, Julio Abrego, who was Ricamar’s store manager and Alma Cortes, the new Labor Minister, who is Martinelli’s business lawyer.

Abrego worked for 25 years with Martinelli and he said in his defense that he is a zoo technologist and agriculture engineer.

Cortes, on the other hand is a tough lawyer use to defend Martinelli against disgruntle employees and she is viewed with suspicion by unions who think that she will favor the private sector.

Nepotism may not be unusual.