Delgado Diamante out, police militarization in as Torrijos reshuffles

Out: Daniel Delgado Diamante.
Photo by the Ministry of Government & Justice

Daniel Delgado Diamante out of cabinet, his reforms implemented in administration shuffle
by Eric Jackson

On November 18 President Torrijos solved one of his pressing political problems with a cabinet shuffle that left Daniel Delgado Diamante, the former member of Manuel Antonio Noriega's high command who was on a leave of absence from his post as Minister of Government and Justice permanently out of the cabinet. Delgado, who is facing an investigation about his 1970 slaying of an army subordinate, was replaced by Dilio Arcia, who had been serving as Minister of the Presidency. Arcia's shift partially avoided another political problem that would have been created if Vice Minister of Government and Justice Severino Mejía --- whose last military post, from which he was removed by the 1989 US invasion, was as General Noriega's adjutant --- had been promoted to the ministry's top spot. But in Noriega times Arcia was a magistrate on the dictatorship's discredited Supreme Court.

In: Dilio Arcia. Photo by the Ministry of Government & Justice

Arcia's replacement as Minister of the Presidency is veteran apparatchik Rafael Mezquita, whose last major executive branch post was at the head of a failed effort to privatize the IDAAN water and sewer utility during the Pérez Balladares administration.

Also in the cabinet shuffle, Guillermo Salazar was replaced as Minister of Agricultural Development but will stay on as a special presidential advisor on agricultural matters. While minister, Salazar had been president of the Panamanian subsidiary of Prime Forestry, a Swiss-based teak plantation investment scheme that was shut down due to its fraudulent nature and its mafia connections. The Prime Forestry scandal never affected Salazar's position in the government, maybe because the president and first lady also did promotional photos for the scam. However, a cabinet minister who fronted for a mob operation was one of many reasons why the US Congress ignored President Bush's plea for a ratification of the US-Panama free trade deal during the lame duck session. Replacing Salazar is Olmedo Espino, the former director of the Banco de Desarrollo Agropecuario under Pérez Balladares.

In the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Gisela Álvarez de Porras replaced Carmen Gisela Vergara, the latter moving over to represent Panama in the Central American Economic Integration Bank.

Shortly after Delgado Diamante was replaced, it was learned that he had rehired a number of old soldiers or police officers who were fired in the wake of the US invasion and were approaching the time they needed on the job to vest their pensions. In several of these cases the courts had long ago decided in effect that the reasons proffered for these firings were unfounded.

Out: Jaime Ruiz. Photo by the Policia Nacional

A few days after the cabinet changes, the security reorganization --- or police remilitarization, if that's your point of view --- decrees championed by Delgado Diamante started to be carried out with appointments to the new security command structure. Sent to a diplomatic post on the Inter-American Defense Council in Washington was Jaime Ruiz, who was officially only an acting National Police chief because he's a career cop and at the time he was promoted to that job the law reserved it for a civilian. Under the new decrees a police chief promoted from within has to be one of the three top-ranking police officers and that policy was followed by the promotion of commissioner Francisco Troya.

Troya, left, takes the police chief flag from Arcia. Photo by the Policia Nacional

Also appointed along with Troya were Rigoberto Gordón as director of the new National Aeronaval Service and Frank Ábrego as director of the new National Frontiers Service.

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Delgado Diamante out, police militarization in as Torrijos reshuffles
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Balbina courts the Afro-Panamanian vote
Protesting violence against women
Remembering Dr. Carlos Iván Zúñiga
Voting absentee from abroad in Georgia's US Senate runoff
Unprecedented indigenous summit has harsh things to say about government policies
Burma's regime goes on the offensive against Karen rebels
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