Monday, May 4, 2009

New President in Panama

Yesterday, Panama elected a new president. Ricardo Martinelli won the national elections by a landslide, with over 60% of the votes compared to his closest rival, Balbina Herrera, who received about 36%. This is the biggest recorded margin in a presidential election in Panama since 1989.

I have to admit that even though the options weren't that great, it is always good to see such a fantastic turnout and to see the Panamanian people participate in the political process peacefully. The election of Martinelli continues mix up the interesting conversation about the political trends of Latin American leadership.

As La Prensa said in its editorial today, "Our congratulations to the winning candidate need to be accompanied with caution: resounding victory is not a blank check, it is the deafening scream of the Panamanian people who are demanding that their better sons govern the country with honesty and social justice, and that they do in the palace what they promised on the streets."

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live the questions now... R.M. Rilke