RICARDO MARTINELLI is no longer the leader of the party he founded funded to further his political ambitions and ruled with an autocratic hand for 20 years.

From 2009-2014 he ruled as president over the most corrupt administration in the country’s history with many of his former cabinet,  and inner circle business associates, like Martinell himself,  his brother and sons.under investigation for corruption, and potentially facing  long prison terms

On Sunday, January 21, at the Cambio Democrático (CD) convention to elect the new board of directors he was soundly defeated by Rómulo Roux who garnered the support of 1,486  of the   2,360 delegates. Martinelli got 846.

Meanwhile, Alma Cortes, the interim president and a Martinelli supporter, lost out on her bid to become secretary-general.  She had said earlier in the day that if Roux became the party president decent persons would leave the party.

The deputy and president of the National Assembly, Yanibel Ábrego, was elected to the post with

1,460 votes.    Alma Cortés got 372 votes and Giselle Burillo, 226. Both Cortés and Burillo are facing criminal investigations linked to corruption.

Martinelli has been in a  Miami Federal Detention Center for seven months. He returns to court on Tuesday for a hearing to decide if he should be extradited to Panama to face trial … without the triumphal march back to the presidency that he had predicted.