▁and ▁politician ▁Rub en ▁Bl ades ; ▁Tor rij os ▁later ▁made ▁Bl ades ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁tour ism ▁minister . ▁Tor rij os ' ▁primary ▁rival ▁was ▁Gu ill ermo ▁End ara , ▁who ▁had ▁served ▁as ▁president ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁End ara ▁ran ▁as ▁the ▁candidate ▁of ▁the ▁Sol id ar ity ▁Party , ▁on ▁a ▁platform ▁of ▁reducing ▁crime ▁and ▁government ▁cor ruption . ▁End ara ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁candidates ▁also ▁ran ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁negative ▁ad s ▁highlight ing ▁the ▁PR D ' s ▁connections ▁with ▁former ▁military ▁r uler ▁Manuel ▁Nor ie ga . ▁End ara ▁finished ▁second ▁in ▁the ▁race , ▁receiving ▁ 3 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote ▁to ▁Tor rij os ' ▁ 4 7 %. ▁ ▁Short ly ▁before ▁leaving ▁office , ▁Mos cos o ▁spark ed ▁controvers y ▁by ▁p ardon ing ▁four ▁men — L uis ▁Pos ada ▁Car ril es , ▁Gas par ▁Jim é nez , ▁Pedro ▁Rem on ▁and ▁Gu ill ermo ▁Nov o ▁S amp ol — who ▁had ▁been ▁conv icted ▁of ▁plot ting ▁to ▁assass inate ▁Cub an ▁president ▁F idel ▁Castro ▁during ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁visit ▁to ▁Pan ama . ▁Cuba ▁broke ▁off ▁diplom atic ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁country , ▁and ▁Venez uel an ▁president ▁Hugo ▁Ch á vez ▁re called ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁amb assador . ▁Mos cos o ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁p ard ons ▁had ▁been ▁motiv ated