Panama appeals to the support of MERCOSUR to get out of discriminatory lists

The Panamanian president, José Raúl Mulino, asked for the solidarity and support of the countries that make up the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) in their fight to get out of the discriminatory tax lists that have affected the financial center of Panama under false arguments.

“I will fight for justice to be done with Panama. It is unthinkable that we are good for one thing for the international community and not for others. It doesn't make sense and I'm not going to tolerate it," said Mulino, referring to the fact that Panama is soon to be part of the United Nations Security Council and at the same time it is on discriminatory lists where they put the country on par with South Korea. Bosnia and Herzegovina, among others.

The president said at the plenary session of MERCOSUR heads of states, which took place today in Paraguay, that Panama will once again be respected in the international community.

He indicated that the statements made in these discriminatory lists that taxes are not paid in Panama are false. “They have disrupted our financial system with an excess of banking restrictions that must be cleared again.

Even so, I make this platform available to MERCOSUR,” Mulino highlighted in his speech at the MERCOSUR Summit.

President Mulino also exposed the problem of illegal migration through Darién in MERCOSUR, pointing out that this is a humanitarian problem that breaks the heart of any human being.

Mulino also said that he will appeal to the international community to support the effort that Panama is making to control this humanitarian problem, where the majority of migrants come from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia and Haiti.

He pointed out that behind all this, drug cartels and organized crime are involved.

He specified that more than 1,300 illegal migrants cross the borders of Panama daily seeking to reach the United States. This represents expenses for the Government of Panama of more than 100 million dollars a year, in addition to other problems such as environmental pollution in one of the forests considered one of the main lungs left in the world.