President Jose Raul Mulino’s path to Panama’s presidency faced a constitutional challenge that now involves a notarized record of private communications. The lawyer who filed the lawsuit against Mulino’s candidacy created an 85-page notarized document containing WhatsApp messages about the legal effort. This development comes just days after President Mulino revealed he warned electoral magistrates he would “set the country on fire” if barred from the 2024 election.
Karisma Karamañites, the attorney who brought the constitutional challenge, appeared before notary Fabian Ruiz on May 28, 2024, to formalize the document. Her action occurred nearly three weeks after the Supreme Court of Justice of Panama rejected her lawsuit against Mulino’s candidacy. By that time, Mulino had already won the presidential election held on May 5, 2024.
Notarized Communications Timeline
The notarized communications span from March 10 to May 23, 2024. Most messages allegedly involve exchanges with Carlos Ernesto Gonzalez Ramirez, an attorney with the law firm Morgan & Morgan. That firm employs Rómulo Roux, who was then the presidential candidate for the Democratic Change and Panameñista parties and therefore Mulino’s direct political rival.
Gonzalez apparently guided Karamañites through filing the lawsuit and monitored its progress. He reportedly wrote that Roux knew “nothing” about the action promoted against Mulino’s candidacy. Karamañites had previously worked at Morgan & Morgan as an assistant and was employed by digital media outlet Foco during 2024.
“I cannot explain how ugly it feels to have private conversations shared, especially when taken out of context. That message was solely sincere support for Karisma, because at that moment she was being harshly attacked on social networks for having presented her lawsuit,” Annette Planells stated when asked for her reaction. [Translated from Spanish]
Planells, then president of Corporación La Prensa S.A. and also linked to Foco, appeared in some of the notarized messages. She resigned from Corprensa on August 12, 2025. Her comments reference the personal impact of having private communications made public through the notarial declaration.
Financial Transactions and Media Connections
The notarized document includes records of bank transfers Karamañites allegedly received from a company called The Women’s Gang. These payments supposedly corresponded to her salary from Foco. The Women’s Gang is a society presided over by Mauricio Valenzuela.
Karamañites resigned from Foco shortly after the May 5 election. On November 22, 2025, she posted a video on social media platforms Instagram and X addressing the controversy. Her statement came one day after President Mulino, speaking from Costa Rica, revealed his warning to the Electoral Tribunal magistrates.
“Nobody gave me a single cent for that. I still believe I did what was legally correct. Mr. President, I never wanted to harm you or your family; that was never my intention,” the lawyer stated on social media. [Translated from Spanish] She described feeling “very afraid” when the full Supreme Court issued the ruling favorable to Mulino, adding that she understood her actions “had favored people who had taken advantage of my youth, my energy, and my desire to see a better country.”
Karamañites did not identify these individuals in her video statement. She emphasized her continued disagreement with the court’s decision while respecting its authority. “Imagine how I feel every time the president of my country speaks about something I did, but I have no bodyguards or protection,” she remarked. The corte suprema / supreme courts ruling allowed Mulino to proceed as a candidate despite the constitutional questions raised.
Presidential Knowledge and Reactions
Sources indicate President Mulino has known for months about Karamañites’ notarized declaration. A copy of the document reportedly exists within the Presidency itself. This knowledge predates Mulino’s recent comments in Costa Rica about his confrontation with electoral authorities.
Gonzalez, when contacted for comment about the notarized messages, responded that he could not opine on the topic because he was unaware of the information. His position as an attorney for a firm connected to Mulino’s political opponent adds complexity to the situation. The messages suggest coordination behind the legal challenge to the now presidents Mulino candidacy.
Planells expressed hope that Panama could move beyond political confrontation. “I hope we can leave behind so much unnecessary confrontation and that in Panama we find a calmer environment, with better days for everyone,” she added. [Translated from Spanish] Her resignation from Corprensa months after the notarization raises questions about the document’s broader implications.
The notarized record preserves a detailed chronology of communications surrounding a pivotal constitutional challenge. It captures the intense political maneuvering that characterized Panama’s 2024 presidential election. These developments continue to resonate in the current administration as President Mulino governs while legal and political questions from his election persist.