Who is Martinelli and why is everyone suddenly talking about him?

José Raúl Mulino won the Panamanian presidency in 2024 partly on the strength of his association with Ricardo Martinelli, so that context might be relevant, but the name Martinelli without further context most likely refers to Ricardo Martinelli, the former president of Panama who served from 2009 to 2014. He has been a controversial and polarizing figure in Latin American politics for years, and his name resurfaces periodically because of ongoing legal troubles, political maneuvering, and his continued influence over Panamanian politics even from behind bars or in exile. Ricardo Martinelli is a businessman and politician who built his fortune through a supermarket chain called Super 99 before entering politics. His presidency was marked by significant infrastructure development and economic growth, but also by serious allegations of corruption, bribery, and illegal surveillance of political opponents, journalists, and rivals. After leaving office he faced multiple legal proceedings in Panama, and he spent years fighting extradition from the United States, where he had sought refuge. He was eventually extradited back to Panama and faced trial there. In 2024 he was convicted by a Panamanian court on charges related to money laundering connected to a corruption case involving the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which was at the center of a massive bribery scandal across Latin America. The reason people were talking about him intensely around 2024 is that despite being convicted and sentenced to prison, Martinelli sought and was granted asylum in the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama City, creating a significant diplomatic and legal standoff. He essentially took refuge in the embassy to avoid serving his sentence, which caused considerable controversy both domestically in Panama and internationally. Nicaragua under Daniel Ortega granted him asylum, which Panama rejected as illegitimate given that Martinelli was a convicted criminal rather than a political refugee. This situation dragged on for months and drew attention to questions about the rule of law, the use of diplomatic asylum, and the relationship between Nicaragua and other countries in the region. His influence also remained significant because his political party and allies continued to be active in Panamanian politics. José Raúl Mulino, who won the 2024 Panamanian presidential election, was closely associated with Martinelli and had been chosen as a running mate before Martinelli was barred from running himself due to his conviction. Mulino's victory was seen by many observers as an indirect win for Martinelli's political movement, raising questions about whether a Mulino presidency might find ways to benefit Martinelli legally or politically. This connection kept Martinelli in the news throughout the election cycle and afterward. The broader significance of Martinelli's story is that it illustrates recurring themes in Latin American politics involving the intersection of business wealth, political power, populism, and corruption. He remains a genuinely popular figure among some segments of the Panamanian population who credit him with economic development during his presidency, while others see him as emblematic of elite impunity and the difficulty of holding powerful figures accountable through legal systems that can be slow, politically influenced, and vulnerable to manipulation. His ability to remain politically relevant despite a criminal conviction and his use of diplomatic asylum to evade imprisonment made him a symbol of how complicated accountability can be in the region.