 That year, he reported that a bank that had recently failed had been laundering money for Colombia's Cali Cartel.He also alleged that some of the President Ernesto Pérez Balladares' appointments were guided by nepotism, and in 1997, he gained particular notice for reporting that an agent of the cartel had contributed US$51,000 to Pérez Balladares' presidential campaign.When his work visa expired, the Panamanian government refused to renew it, setting off a storm of criticism from international press NGOs and domestic opposition parties.