Venezuela Cuts Ties with Panama

Surprising decision from the Government of Venezuela. Panama only hopes this fellow country finds peace and strengthens its democracy.

This is how the president of Panama reacted upon finding out that Venezuela's government was cutting ties with them.

The president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, announced that he would not allow anyone to conspire against Venezuela and accused President Martinelli of being “a lackey and a snake.” The accusation is based on the Panamanian government's request that the Permanent Council of the OAS (Organization of American States) meet to discuss the issue of Venezuela's internal conflicts

Reactions on social networks have been ironic and angry over the actions of the South American country's government. Most Panamanians feel that President Maduro has some nerve breaking diplomatic and commercial relations with Panama when Venezuela has a debt between $800 million and $1 billion US dollars to the Colón Free Trade Zone. Charlie Cuevas says: 

How convenient it is for you, Venezuela, to cut commercial ties with Panama when you owe them 1 billion dollars

For other users, the Panamanian government is to blame for intervening in the internal affairs of other countries.

What is the Government of Panama doing giving their opinion on and meddling with Venezuela's internal issues? 

Erick Javier clarifies that the only people that can call President Ricardo Martinelli a “lackey” and a “snake” are Panamanians: 

The only people that can call Martinelli a lackey and a snake are us Panamanians

Likewise, former president of Panama Ernesto Perez Balladares condemned the incident and how it was handled: 

I do not agree with Pres. Martinelli but I cannot accept that inappropriate insults be used against him or any other Panamanian 

For “Noticias sin censura” (“Uncensored News”), the Venezuelan government's decision is unwise since many of the products consumed in Venezuela are imported and pass through the Panama Canal: 

A country that imports 80% of what it consumes, almost all of that passing through Panama, breaks economic relations with that country. What the hell?   

Venezuelan Rocio San Miguel commented that the break in relations will only bring about more complications to the shortages that Venezuela is already suffering from: 

The break in relations with Panama will extremely complicate the already problematic national supply by sea 

Fredy Marcial tweeted about a supposed invasion requested by Martinelli: 

President of Panama belongs to the family dynasty that supported the U.S. invasion into its country via the canal, now this lackey asks to invade Venezuela

Lastly, Colombia Senator Juan Lozano believes that the reaction from the Venezuelan government is just an indication of desperation and agony: 

Maduro's reaction against Panama reveals the despair, anguish, and loneliness of a delirious regime on the brink of collapse.

Photos: Nicolás Maduro from Chavezcandanga on Flickr under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0); Ricardo Martinelli from the World Economic Forum on Flickr under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

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