The presidential campaign of José Domingo Arias in 2014 received donations from the Braziliancompany Odebrecht according to a company executive.

Hilde Mascarenhas, an Odebrecht executive, confessed to Brazilian electoral authorities that between 2006 and2014, they made illegal payments to political campaigns in several countries, including Panama.

The common denominator was  the now resident of a Brazilian jail, João Santana, who worked on the campaign of Arias, a candidate of the Ricardo Martinelli  led Democratic Change party.

President Juan Carlos Varela has said he did not accept donations from the construction company, which has confessed to bribing officials in 12 countries.