The Colombian government granted political asylum to former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli.

In a statement released this Saturday, May 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Colombian government has granted political asylum to former Panamanian President Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal.

Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal (2009-2014) traveled to Colombia this Saturday as a political asylum seeker, after spending more than three months as a refugee in the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama City.

The departure was finalized after the Colombian government formally granted asylum and the Panamanian government authorized a safe-conduct pass.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that President Gustavo Petro Urrego has granted political asylum to the former President of Panama, Mr. Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Berrocal, a decision that was duly communicated to the government of the neighboring country," they stated.

According to the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the asylum request was officially submitted by Colombian President Gustavo Petro in a note addressed to the new Panamanian president, José Raúl Mulino Quintero. In response, Panama granted the required safe passage to allow Martinelli's safe departure from the Nicaraguan embassy to a local airport and, subsequently, his airlift to Colombian territory.

The Colombian Foreign Ministry added: "The decision is based on observance of the pro-person principle and Colombia's humanist tradition of protecting persons persecuted for political reasons."

The Panamanian Foreign Ministry indicated that the decision was made in compliance with the commitments assumed in the 1928 Asylum Convention and the 1933 Political Asylum Convention, treaties signed by Panama, Nicaragua, and Colombia. Both conventions establish the obligations of states regarding the granting of asylum and the provision of safe passage to guarantee the departure of asylum seekers.

Air tracking reports indicated that the plane carrying Martinelli was close to landing in Colombia at the time of the statement.

The departure of Martinelli, 73, marks the end of a diplomatic episode that began in February 2024 , when the former president entered the Nicaraguan embassy after his sentence of more than 10 years in prison and the payment of a multimillion-dollar fine in the "New Business" case was confirmed. This case is related to the allegedly irregular purchase of a media conglomerate using public funds.

During the previous administration, headed by Laurentino Cortizo, the request for safe passage was rejected. In March 2025, with José Raúl Mulino already elected and assuming Martinelli's presidential candidacy after his disqualification, a first attempt to leave Nicaragua was authorized, but it did not materialize.

In addition to the "New Business" case, Ricardo Martinelli faces other legal proceedings in Panama, including those related to bribery payments from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. He also has open cases in Spain for alleged irregular payments and a case of communications interception on the island of Mallorca.