Panama denies Nicaragua's request to allow ex-Panamanian president's exit

FILE PHOTO: Panama's former President Ricardo Martinelli addresses the media, accompanied by his lawyer Shirley Castaneda, after filing a complaint with the General Secretariat of the National Assembly to investigate Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo and Vice President, Jose Gabriel Carrizo, in Panama City, Panama, February 6, 2024. REUTERS/Aris Martinez

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) -Panama denied a request from Nicaragua to allow safe passage for ex-President Ricardo Martinelli to leave the country, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday, after Nicaragua granted asylum to the former Panamanian leader.

Martinelli is a declared presidential candidate in Panama's upcoming May election, but a nearly 11-year prison sentence handed down last year for money laundering has cast doubt on his ability to run for his old job.