Panama's president told Venezuela on Friday that its decision to break off diplomatic ties should not be an excuse to renege on its massive debt to the Central American nation. President Ricardo Martinelli's warning came a day after Venezuela ordered the expulsion of Panama's ambassador and three other diplomats in a worsening dispute stemming from protests against the Caracas government.
"Panama is owed amounts of more than $1 billion," the Panamanian leader told reporters. "I don't want to think that this is an excuse not to pay and that the Venezuelan state is a deadbeat." At least 20 people have been killed in more than a month of anti-government protests in Venezuela that President Nicolas Maduro blames on a US-backed "fascist" plot.
Maduro lashed out Wednesday at Panama, calling it a "lackey" of the United States for seeking a meeting of the Washington-based Organisation of American States on the turmoil, and announcing he was cutting ties with the country. In an escalating war of words Friday, Martinelli suggested that Maduro's real motive was to get out of paying huge bills owed to the Colon duty-free trade zone and to COPA, the Panamanian airline. "Venezuela would appear to be bankrupt, although it shouldn't be because it is a very rich country," said Martinelli.
It "has no excuse" to not pay off its debts, he added. The Venezuelan president retorted by claiming that Martinelli was demanding a 20 percent kickback from Venezuelan merchants whose goods went through the duty-free trade zone. In a televised address, Maduro accused Martinelli of "using political power to enrich himself."
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