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"After years of friendship with this country, I did not expect
to be thrown in a U.S. jail," he wrote in a letter dated May 14
and released by a spokesman.
Martinelli was jailed last year in the United States after
Panama requested extradition on charges that he used public
money to spy on more than 150 political rivals during his
2009-2014 term.
A U.S. court authorized the extradition last year, and
Martinelli last month maintained his innocence but said he would
stop fighting the proceedings for judgment in Panama.
In the four-page letter, Martinelli says Panamanian President
Juan Carlos Varela, a former ally, had sought political revenge,
and that he expected the United States to offer "protection"
from Varela's government.
He also detailed examples of assisting the United States to curb
cross-border crime, such as halting a North Korean ship
traveling from Cuba with planes, missiles and radar.
"When the CIA requested that I stop a North Korean ship leaving
Cuba that was crossing the Panama Canal, I did not blink an
eye," the letter states.
Martinelli, a wealthy supermarket magnate, also said he
understood that high-ranking U.S. officials had agreed to let
him settle in the United States "without fear."
Reuters could not immediately verify Martinelli's claims.
"I was under the impression that promises made by such
government officials could be relied upon. I was mistaken," he
added in the letter, which was addressed to the "government and
people of the United States".
(Writing by Daina Beth Solomon)
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