Panama apologises after detaining and deporting ex-minister Franklin Martins during airport transit

Brazil’s foreign ministry has received a formal note of apology from Panama after immigration officers at Tocumen International Airport denied entry and summarily repatriated journalist and former presidential press minister Franklin Martins on 6 March. Details of the incident emerged on 8 March 2026, when Martins spoke to Brazilian media after landing back in São Paulo. According to the 76-year-old, officials intercepted him during a layover en route to Guatemala, questioned him for several hours about a 1968 political arrest, and invoked Panama’s 2008 migration law barring travellers with certain criminal records. Martins was not allowed to contact the Brazilian embassy before being placed on a return flight. Panamanian foreign minister Javier Martínez-Acha admitted the action was based on an automated alert and “did not reflect the excellent bilateral relationship”, pledging to review watch-list protocols.



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Brasília called the episode “incompatible with customary protections for transit passengers” and sought guarantees that other Brazilians would not face similar treatment. For global-mobility teams the case is a cautionary tale: historic political offences—even those deemed illegitimate at home—can trigger secondary-inspection flags abroad. Multinationals should audit the travel histories of senior staff and ensure that crisis-response contacts are stored offline, as some jurisdictions still restrict consular access in transit zones.