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Caribbean-Latin America
Panama cancels diplomatic passport issued to actor Sean Connery
2004-10-04
James Bond no longer has diplomatic status - at least not in Panama. The government Friday cancelled 121 diplomatic passports issued by the previous presidential administration, including one extended to actor Sean Connery.
Does a diplomatic passport give you diplomatic immunity?
The cancellations came as part of a massive effort to clean up and update the Foreign Relation Department's files, according to Vice-President Samuel Lewis Navarro. The vice-president described the Scotland-born Connery as a friend of former president Mireya Moscoso. Connery travelled to Panama in March 2003, visited a coffee plantation belonging to Moscoso and received an award from the then-president.
Posted by:Mark Espinola

#11  The Lord God
You might want to tell the BRITISH EMBASSY
Posted by: True German Ally   2004-10-04 8:51:40 PM  

#10  born 1930 Edinburgh....
Posted by: Frank G   2004-10-04 8:34:37 PM  

#9  Of course Sean has been babbling on about Scottish independance from his home in Marbella (Spain) for yonks. Splitter!!! - great Bond!, twat of a bloke.
Posted by: Tony (UK)   2004-10-04 8:33:22 PM  

#8  TGA there is no such thing as a British citizen, they are subjects.
Posted by: The Lord God   2004-10-04 8:15:47 PM  

#7  Not exactly, CrazyFool. Of course he remained a British citizen and did therefore not need a visa for the U.S. (for example). But had he tried to enter the U.S. with his Panamian diplomatic passport, he would have needed a visa just like any Panamian citizen.
Posted by: True German Ally   2004-10-04 6:48:33 PM  

#6  No, he was still { Scotsman | Welsh } -- Visa's are issued by the country you are visiting - not the country you are from.

Now if Panama had given him a passport......
Posted by: CrazyFool   2004-10-04 6:30:34 PM  

#5  Uh no, a diplomatic passport doesn't give you immunity, far from it. This only works if you are acredited as a diplomat in the country you are in (or a spouse of somebody who is) and/or on official diplomatic business on behalf of the issuing country. You can buy lots of fake (and a few genuine) diplomatic passports (mainly from African nations). They might boost your ego and impress a few people who have no clue, but that's about it. With an African diplomatic passport you'd still need the same visas as with a regular African one.
In this case it's probably not about Sean Connery. The previous Panama government was far more U.S. friendly than the current one, so I guess they have their own friends to accomodate. Gives you a few perks in the issuing country and if you are a consul of Panama, well it looks nice on your letterhead (not that Sean would need such a thing).
Again, it doesn't mean much. It's just a nicety of the government issuing it and is of no real use without acreditation.
For example, a German diplomat acredited in the U.S. could travel to Canada with his German diplomatic passport, but his immunity would expire in Canada.
Oh wait, there is a benefit for holders without acreditation. Some Third World airports have special fast lanes at immigration for holders of diplomatic passports.
Posted by: True German Ally   2004-10-04 6:27:37 PM  

#4  Uh, "Snoring" - Connery is a SCOTSMAN, lad.

Best not let him hear you dissin' him.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2004-10-04 6:02:02 PM  

#3  thought he was Welsh....
Posted by: Snorong Clorong5744   2004-10-04 2:58:17 PM  

#2  Does a diplomatic passport give you diplomatic immunity?

Yes, that's what they're for. So Sean was technically a Panamanian diplo while using it...
Posted by: mojo   2004-10-04 2:55:09 PM  

#1  

Which country did it?

Don't ever piss off a Scot, laddie...
Posted by: BigEd   2004-10-04 2:03:28 PM  

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