PANAMA CITY: high union chief concerned in protests towards Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino scaled the fence of the Bolivian embassy to hunt asylum Wednesday, authorities mentioned, following the arrest of a colleague.The highly effective Suntracs building union is preventing the Panamanian authorities on a number of fronts, together with pension reform.Saul Mendez’s asylum plea got here after authorities lately detained one other union chief, Jaime Caballero, on suspicion of cash laundering.In line with Panama’s overseas ministry, “within the early hours of Wednesday morning, Mr Mendez climbed over the fence of the diplomatic mission, knocked on the door, and with a be aware in hand requested political asylum.”The embassy knowledgeable Panama that the request can be thought of by Bolivia’s nationwide refugee council, the ministry mentioned in a press release.Following Mendez’s asylum plea, prosecutors introduced it had issued an arrest warrant towards “Panamanian residents” as a part of a probe into Suntracs for suspected aggravated fraud, cash laundering and illicit affiliation.The assertion didn’t point out any names, however native media reported the warrants focused Mendez and former union chief Genaro Lopez.Masked police additionally raided a number of Suntracs workplaces, together with its headquarters in Panama Metropolis.Mulino has branded the left-wing union “a mafia.”The group usually leads protests towards his right-wing authorities centered on points starting from social safety reforms, an settlement permitting US troops to deploy to bases alongside the Panama Canal, and strikes to reopen a contested copper mine.Suntracs is without doubt one of the organizers of an indefinite strike by building staff launched nearly a month in the past.
