Trump loses! Booted from Trump Ocean Club Hotel in Panama

[Snowboarder_Bo]

I’ve posted several times in the past few months in various threads about the on-going dispute in Panama as the owners tried to get rid of Trump management from their building, including last week when the police were called to sort out actual physical confrontations and possible property/record destruction.

The AP is now reporting that Judge, police help oust Trump Hotels from Panama property

Workers pried President Donald Trump’s name from signs outside his family company’s luxury hotel in Panama on Monday, as Trump’s executives were ousted from their management offices in a business dispute under orders from Panamanian officials. Trump’s security guards also left.

The end to a 12-day standoff over control of the property came early in the day when a Panamanian judicial official and police officers backed the hotel’s majority owner, Orestes Fintiklis, as he took possession of the offices. The Trump-affiliated management and security officials then left the 70-story, waterfront high-rise.

Trump loses!

I sincerely hope this isn’t the last time we all get to say that, too.

The picture of the guy prying the Trump name off the sign totally fucking rocks!

[Buck_Godot]

Well, holding off the police for 12 days presumably gave the Trump people enough time to shred anything they wanted to, so I call it a draw.

[QuickSilver]

@Snowboarder_Bo

The picture of the guy prying the Trump name off the sign totally fucking rocks!

For a brief minute, it was the “RUMP” hotel.

[Ukulele_Ike]

Finally, some news that makes me happy.

[QuickSilver]

Hey, you don’t think Trump put Sam Nunberg up to this stunt just to quash the Panama story?? :eek:

[Colibri]

Great news. Maybe I can finally go in the building. It’s the tallest building in Panama City but I could never stomach going in there with Trump’s name on it.

[Ranger_Jeff]

How’d you like to be the General on the Joint Chiefs explaining to 45 “No, we can’t invade Panama over this.” I have no doubt there are officers digging War Plans out of dusty filing cabinets for review and taking into consideration current personnel strengths and TOE. And they’re printing out new maps with current satellite imagery too.

[Colibri]

To celebrate his victory, Orestes Fintiklis, a Greek Cypriot, sat down at the piano in the lobby and played a Greek antifascist song.

….“Today, this dispute has been settled by the judges and the authorities of this country,” Fintiklis told reporters. He declared that he was so impressed by Panama’s legal system that he would soon become a Panamanian citizen himself….

…“And now, as you guessed it, I will play the piano,” Fintiklis told a crowd of reporters. He then began to play a tune on the piano in the hotel lobby, repeating a ritual that he had used to mark previous victories in the case. This time, he played what he said was a traditional Greek song, “Accordeon,” an anti-fascist anthem, and he sang along in Greek.

Accordeon – English lyrics

*In my old neighbourhood I had a friend
who knew and played the accordion
when he sang, he was like the sun
fires in his hands were ignited by the accordion

But at one dark night, like every other night
he kept look-outs, playing the accordion
fascist vans stood next to the pen
and a gunfire stopped the accordion

The already started watchword always comes back to me
whenever I hear the accordion since then
and it has, like a stamp, marked my life
‘fascism will not prevail!’*

[WolfpackJeep]

Heard a report about this on the radio this morning…I particularly enjoyed the very detailed description of each letter being removed and thrown in a pile on the ground.

[ElvisL1ves]

But was urination involved?

[DesertDog]

@Colibri

To celebrate his victory, Orestes Fintiklis, a Greek Cypriot, sat down at the piano in the lobby and played a Greek antifascist song.

I like the sentiment of the song but color me confused. Fascists don’t like accordions?

[ElvisL1ves]

@DesertDog

Fascists don’t like accordions?

Fascists are human too.

[Bryan_Ekers]

But was urination involved?

Yes, when they got to the P.

[BobLibDem]

@QuickSilver

For a brief minute, it was the “RUMP” hotel.

They could have saved the T and burned the rest, making a RUMP roast if you will.

Great to see his name off of a building, hopefully the first of many. But will this make any difference in the hotel being a hub for money laundering?

[Chronos]

The accordion-player was a member of an antifascist group, and stood outside the meetings playing to act as a lookout for the fascists, to warn those inside they were coming. The playing was just a front, to explain him being there. When the fascists eventually got word and came for them, he gave the warning, and then kept on playing, and got shot for it.

[Colibri]

@BobLibDem

But will this make any difference in the hotel being a hub for money laundering?

Depends on whether or not Fintiklis and the new management group do any due diligence on buyers of condos. I’m not sure what they can do about present owners.

Trump’s Panama tower used for money laundering by condo owners

This is not limited to the (former) Trump building. Many recently-built high-rises in Panama City are alleged to be lavanderias (laundries). The apartments are believed to have been bought by absentee owners with dirty money. Many of the buildings show few lights at night.

Many buyers remained unidentified because many units were bought and sold through anonymous shell companies. Ventura said he set up hundreds of such corporations, charging roughly $1,000 each.

“I had some customers with questionable backgrounds,” he said. “Nobody ever asked me. Banks never asked. Developer didn’t ask and (the) Trump Organization didn’t ask. Nobody ask: ‘Who are the customers, where did the money come from?’ No, nobody ask.”

Mauricio Ceballos, a former financial crimes prosecutor in Panama who investigated Ventura, told NBC the skyscraper was a “vehicle for money laundering”.

[Steve_MB]

@Ranger_Jeff

How’d you like to be the General on the Joint Chiefs explaining to 45 “No, we can’t invade Panama over this.”

On second thought, let’s not invade Panama. 'Tis a shithole place…

[VinylTurnip]

The poor Panamanians already had to endure Pineapple Face. They shouldn’t have to deal with Pumpkin Head.

[Stranger_On_A_Train]

@QuickSilver

For a brief minute, it was the “RUMP” hotel.

Daivd Cornwell is writing a roman à clef about the incident; the presumptive title is The Reprobate of Panama. Alec Baldwin and Cecily Strong have already been approached to star in the film adaptation.

@VinylTurnip

The poor Panamanians already had to endure Pineapple Face. They shouldn’t have to deal with Pumpkin Head.

Curiously, “Pumpkin Head” is reputed to be the GRU codename for Donald Trump. “Dollface” and “Blondie” are their terms for Jared Kushner and Ivanka. However, they just refer to Melania as “Karla” for some unknown reason.
Stranger

[wolfpup]

… and in Toronto:

Toronto hotel dumps Trump’s name

I don’t know whether dumping Trump’s name is related to the property’s financial failure, but it’s been a big loser both for the owner and the initial investors. I read somewhere that many buyers of the residential units ended up selling out for a fraction of their purchase cost, and the operators were the subject of numerous lawsuits. In short, a total Trumpfiasco from beginning to end.