US bans former Panama president for 'significant corruption,' Blinken says
This article is a summary of reporting by Reuters. Originally published July 13, 2023.
Former Panama President Juan Carlos Varela was barred from entry into the United States due to his involvement in significant public corruption. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the designation, pointing to allegations of accepting bribes in exchange for awarding public infrastructure contracts. The sanction connects directly to the regional Odebrecht bribery probe, in which Panamanian prosecutors previously indicted Varela for money laundering. Varela maintained that the funds received were legal political campaign donations rather than illegal kickbacks.
AI Summary
The United States barred former Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela from entering the country over involvement in significant corruption linked to the Odebrecht scandal.
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