Panama and the weight of economic interests

Panama is one of the world's murkiest tax havens. And it seems to have followed a pattern that we have long noted elsehwere: the capture of politics and the judiciary (and often the media) by narrow financial interests.

A new story from Panama highlights the problem. Although we don't know the ins and outs of this particular case, this key quote encapsulates the widespread problem:

In this country political and economic forces weigh more than justice."

It is a strange and unpleasant story, worth reading.