Asamblea suspende comparecencias de embajadores designados a la espera de respuestas del canciller | La Prensa Panamá

Key Events

The Panamanian National Assembly's Foreign Relations Committee postponed the hearings of ambassadorial candidates Javier Caraballo (Austria) and Joanna Villarreal (France). This decision, driven by a majority vote, stems from the foreign minister's, Javier Martínez-Acha, failure to appear before the committee in January to address questions about foreign policy.

Reasons for Suspension

The postponement is a pressure tactic to compel Martínez-Acha to answer questions and account for his handling of foreign policy. This pressure intensified after a motion for a vote of no confidence was presented against him.

The resolution for a vote of no confidence, supported by 39 deputies, cited concerns over a memorandum of understanding signed with the US Department of Defense on April 9, 2025, allegedly compromising national sovereignty, the Panama Canal's defense, and the Permanent Neutrality Treaty.

Consequences

The suspended hearings prevent Caraballo and Villarreal from assuming their posts until further notice. A new date for their hearings, and for Martínez-Acha's appearance before the committee, has yet to be set.

• Hearings postponed for ambassadors-designate.
• Pressure tactic to force foreign minister's appearance.
• Vote of no confidence introduced.
• Concerns raised about a US-Panama agreement.