As a person who has known him all his life and who provides him with that balance, is how the presidential candidate for the Realizing Goals (RM) party, Ricardo Martinelli, described his wife Marta Linares de Martinelli, when presenting her as his running mate for the next general elections in 2024.

In his presentation speech, the former president of the Republic of Panama pointed out that there are valuable people within his party, but that he has decided that his wife Marta will accompany him on the path.

“I understood and began to see that other side of Marta, that I already knew her and thought I did, but I didn't know that very human side, ” Martinelli added.

The presentation of Linares de Martinelli took place Sunday in the national directory of RM, who must decide whether to ratify this nomination or not.

The nomination must also be presented to the Alliance party.

Linares de Martinelli's aspirations for political office are not new. For the 2014 general elections, Linares was designated as the vice presidential candidate by the Democratic Change (CD) party, alongside the presidential candidate, José Domingo Arias

Former President Martinelli remains linked to judicial processes such as the Odebrecht case. In turn, on July 18, the second liquidating judge of Criminal Cases of the First Judicial Circuit of Panama, Baloisa Marquínez, issued a ruling where the former president was sentenced to 128 months, equivalent to 10 years in prison, in the New Business case for alleged money laundering.

Although this decision was appealed by Martinelli's legal team before the Supreme Court of Justice, he is still waiting for a ruling to be issued, so the possibility of his wife assuming the party's presidential candidacy remains.

Background of Marta Linares de Martinelli?

 She has studied Commerce at Saint Mary of the Woods College in Indiana, United States, and has a degree as an insurance broker.

She married in 1978, with Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal. She was the founder of the Women's Front of the Democratic Change Party and was the first lady of Panama (2009-2014)

She was vice-presidential candidate for Democratic Change along with José Domingo Arias in 2014.