Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino is confronting intense scrutiny over a series of judicial decisions that critics argue show a pattern of political interference. Multiple high-profile corruption and money laundering cases involving political allies have been dismissed or overturned since he took office in July 2024. Legal analysts and opposition figures claim these actions represent a systemic erosion of judicial independence in favor of executive power.
The controversy spans several distinct cases, each involving individuals connected to Mulino’s administration or inner circle. They include the dismissal of a case against the brother of his foreign minister, the absolution of his own advisors, and the controversial reduction of sentences for convicted fraudsters. Observers point to Mulino’s appointments to the Supreme Court of Justice of Panama and the removal of an anti-corruption prosecutor as further evidence of a coordinated effort.
Series of Controversial Case Dismissals Raises Alarm
One of the earliest and most cited examples occurred in April 2025. The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court revoked the conviction of Valentin Martinez Vasquez for money laundering in the New Business case. Martinez Vasquez is the brother of Mulino’s Foreign Minister, Javier Martinez Acha. In the same broad case, the court absolved Nicolas and Jose Carlos Corcione Perez Balladares and Gonzalo Gomez Wong, who were accused of laundering money related to the purchase of the Editora Panama America newspaper.
“The message was clear. No one messes with me without consequences. That is how the resentful Mulino thinks and acts,” wrote analyst Rolando Rodriguez in a scathing opinion piece that compiled these cases.
Another pivotal moment came in September 2025. A judge absolved 185 defendants in the “Diablos Rojos” bus indemnification fraud case. Among those cleared were Jorge ‘Ricky’ Fabrega, a personal advisor to President Mulino, and Ventura Vega, the secretary general of the Comptroller’s Office. The judge ruled no evidence existed of a criminal structure to defraud the state, calling the irregularities administrative failures.
Key Appointments and a Prosecutor’s Removal
Critics argue the pattern extends beyond case law into judicial appointments. Mulino appointed Carlos Ernesto Villalobos Jaen to the Supreme Court. Villalobos Jaen was previously a subordinate of Mulino at a law firm where the president was a partner. This contradicted Mulino’s earlier campaign promise that new magistrates would not be his “little buddies, domino players, or drinking companions.”
A more direct alleged interference involved the dismissal of prosecutor Zuleyka Moore in December 2025. The Supreme Court’s Third Administrative and Labor Chamber declared her firing legal. Moore had been investigating a presumed embezzlement case in the purchase of Selex radars, a case that implicated then-Minister of Public Security Jose Raul Mulino. The official who fired her, former Attorney General of Panama Javier Caraballo, is now Panama’s ambassador to Austria.
The magistrate who wrote the opinion in Moore’s dismissal, Maria Cristina Chen, is now the new president of the Judicial Branch. The juxtaposition of outcomes has not gone unnoticed. “A stick for the one who bothers, a prize for the one who submits,” Rodriguez noted, suggesting Mulino learned from the military regimes he once opposed.
Recent Sentence Reductions Add to the Firestorm
The controversy intensified in late December 2025 and early 2026. The Superior Court for the Liquidation of Criminal Cases revoked the 40-month prison sentence for Mario Martinelli, brother of former President Ricardo Martinelli. Mario Martinelli had confessed to crimes causing over $12 million in damage to the state in the “grains” case related to the defunct National Aid Program (PAN). His plea deal required repayment of just over $3 million. The court declared a partial nullity of the process. Mario Martinelli
Then, in January 2026, President Mulino used his executive clemency power to grant a sentence reduction to Milena Vallarino. Vallarino is the partner of convicted former minister Guillermo Ferrufino; both were found guilty of unjust enrichment. Mulino also reduced the sentence for Jose ‘Chepi’ Carrizo, convicted of aggravated fraud for stealing over $2.5 million from La Prensa newspaper. Carrizo is the brother-in-law of Mulino’s Minister of Health, Fernando Boyd Galindo.
For many, the final straw was the recent removal of the lead anti-corruption prosecutor overseeing the massive Odebrecht bribery case. This move, seen as stripping the high-profile investigation of its leadership, has sparked protests from legal associations. It suggests a worrying trend for accountability.
“This, no matter what legal makeup you put on it, stinks of mockery and impunity,” Rodriguez wrote regarding the Mario Martinelli decision. [Translated from Spanish]
The administration has consistently defended its actions and appointments as legal and within its constitutional authority. Officials maintain the judicial branch operates independently and that case outcomes are determined by judges based on evidence and procedure, not political pressure. They have not issued a detailed point-by-point rebuttal to the compiled allegations.
Political opponents and civil society groups, however, are sounding the alarm. They see a return to an era of impunity for the powerful. The convergence of dismissed cases, favorable appointments, and the sidelining of aggressive prosecutors paints a damning picture for them. As one analyst put it, impunity has returned to its “old and lustrous splendor.” The coming months will test the resilience of Panama’s democratic institutions as these separate threads are woven into a larger narrative about power and justice.