Nicaragua sentences journalist to 13 years for ‘conspiracy’
2 years, 10 months ago

Nicaragua sentences journalist to 13 years for ‘conspiracy’

Al Jazeera  

Miguel Mora is latest opposition figure convicted and sentenced amid crackdown on dissent in Central American nation. A judge in Nicaragua has sentenced former presidential hopeful and journalist Miguel Mora to 13 years in prison for “conspiracy to undermine national integrity”. Among those already convicted are former Sandinista rebel commander Dora María Tellez, 65, who led an assault on the National Palace in 1978 during the Somoza family dictatorship, holding congress members hostage in exchange for the release of rebel prisoners. Following Anastasio Somoza’s overthrow the next year, Tellez served as health minister in the first Sandinista government, which was led by Ortega from 1979 to 1990. “These are repressive farces that the regime uses to issue convictions and continue to intimidate the people.” The ruling Sandinista Front and its allies control Nicaragua’s congress and all government institutions.

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History of this topic

Nicaragua approves reforms boosting power of President Ortega and his wife
1 month ago

Nicaragua approves reforms boosting power of President Ortega and his wife

Al Jazeera  

Legislators greenlight reforms giving more authority to Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, accused of stifling dissent. The changes elevate Ortega’s wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, to the post of “co-president”. Rights groups and international observers slammed the vote as a “sham” and accused the Sandinista leader of stifling dissent by trying to legalise the “absolute power” Ortega and his …

Nicaragua’s Ortega proposes reform to make him and his wife ‘copresidents’
1 month ago

Nicaragua’s Ortega proposes reform to make him and his wife ‘copresidents’

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega on Wednesday proposed a constitutional reform that would officially make him and his wife, current Vice President Rosario Murillo, “copresidents” of the Central American nation. Ortega put forward another bill Wednesday that would make it illegal for anyone to enforce sanctions from the United States or other foreign bodies “within Nicaraguan territory.” The …

Experts report Nicaraguan ‘systematic human rights violations’ to UN council
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Experts report Nicaraguan ‘systematic human rights violations’ to UN council

The Hindu  

Driven by a desire to squelch critical voices, Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega and his entourage have committed systematic human rights violations “tantamount to crimes against humanity,” a group of UN-mandated experts said on Thursday. In a report presented to the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva, they said Mr. Ortega, his Vice President and wife Rosario Murillo, and other high-level …

Opponents describe hideous conditions in Nicaraguan prisons
1 year, 10 months ago

Opponents describe hideous conditions in Nicaraguan prisons

Associated Press  

MIAMI — Constant fear. Opposition prisoners from Nicaragua are recounting the months — and sometimes years — they spent in the notorious prisons run by the regime of President Daniel Ortega. However, Ortega’s government went a few steps further, deporting them and saying their Nicaraguan citizenship would be revoked and their property confiscated — drawing fire as an example of …

Nicaragua strips 94 political opponents of citizenship
1 year, 10 months ago

Nicaragua strips 94 political opponents of citizenship

Al Jazeera  

Analysts, legal experts and human rights groups condemn the move, which they say violates international law. He claimed those on the list – among them rights activist Vilma Núñez, former Sandinista rebel commander Luis Carrión and journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro – were guilty of “spreading false news” and “conspiracy to undermine national integrity”. Most of those named fled Nicaragua when …

Nicaragua strips citizenship, confiscates property from 94 more political dissidents
1 year, 10 months ago

Nicaragua strips citizenship, confiscates property from 94 more political dissidents

LA Times  

Writer Sergio Ramírez is one of 94 political dissidents whose Nicaraguan citizenship was canceled Wednesday by the government in Managua. Appeals Court Justice Ernesto Rodríguez Mejía read a statement Wednesday that declared the 94 people to be “traitors” and said they had lost their Nicaraguan citizenship. Most of those named have fled Nicaragua since President Daniel Ortega began arresting opponents …

US condemns Nicaragua’s imprisonment of outspoken bishop
1 year, 10 months ago

US condemns Nicaragua’s imprisonment of outspoken bishop

Al Jazeera  

Bishop Rolando Alvarez was sentenced to 26 years in prison after refusing to join other political prisoners in exile. Bishop Rolando Alvarez, an outspoken critic of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, was sentenced to 26 years in prison last Friday over charges of “conspiracy” and “fake news”. “We condemn this action by the government of Nicaragua and urge Bishop Alvarez’s immediate …

Nicaraguan bishop who refused exile gets 26 years in prison
1 year, 10 months ago

Nicaraguan bishop who refused exile gets 26 years in prison

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — Roman Catholic Bishop Rolando Álvarez, an outspoken critic of Nicaragua’s government, was sentenced to 26 years in prison and stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship Friday, the latest move by President Daniel Ortega against the Catholic church and his opponents. Andrew Chesnut, a professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, said Álvarez’s sentence “constitutes the most severe …

Nicaragua frees 222 opponents of Ortega, sends them to US
1 year, 10 months ago

Nicaragua frees 222 opponents of Ortega, sends them to US

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — In the middle of the night, political leaders, priests, students and activists languishing inside Nicaragua’s most notorious prisons were awoken, given the clothes they had been arrested in and told to dress. “The release of these individuals, one of whom is a U.S. citizen, by the government of Nicaragua marks a constructive step towards addressing human rights …

5 priests sentenced to 10 years for conspiracy in Nicaragua
1 year, 10 months ago

5 priests sentenced to 10 years for conspiracy in Nicaragua

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — A Nicaraguan court has sentenced four Roman Catholic priests to 10 years in prison on conspiracy charges stemming from long-standing government allegations that the church backed illegal pro-democracy protests. The Nicaraguan Human Rights Center described the sentences as “a legal aberration.” “This is an insult to the law, an insult to people’s intelligence, an insult to the …

Nicaragua continues to prosecute, jail Ortega opponents
2 years, 9 months ago

Nicaragua continues to prosecute, jail Ortega opponents

Al Jazeera  

Dozens of political opponents of the left-wing leader are being accused of treason and undermining national security. Nicaragua has sentenced seven more opposition figures, including three former presidential hopefuls, to up to 13 years in prison, a humanitarian organisation said. Courts in the Central American country led by former left-wing rebel, President Daniel Ortega, have found guilty 33 opposition figures …

Calls grow for Nicaragua to release jailed opposition figures
2 years, 10 months ago

Calls grow for Nicaragua to release jailed opposition figures

Al Jazeera  

Pressure from US, EU and other observers mounts after death of detained opposition leader Hugo Torres on Saturday. They also decried a months-long government crackdown on dissent during which dozens of opposition figures – including seven presidential hopefuls – were detained in what rights groups said was an effort to guarantee Ortega’s re-election. “We reiterate our call for the immediate …

Nicaragua sentences seven opposition figures to prison
2 years, 10 months ago

Nicaragua sentences seven opposition figures to prison

Al Jazeera  

Nicaragua has sentenced seven more opposition figures to lengthy prison terms on charges of “conspiracy to undermine national integrity”. Those sentenced on Thursday were among the dozens arrested in the lead-up to last year’s election, which saw President Daniel Ortega win a second consecutive term in polls dismissed as illegitimate by international observers. Also sentenced was Dora Maria Tellez, a …

Ortega sworn in for 4th straight term as Nicaragua’s leader
2 years, 11 months ago

Ortega sworn in for 4th straight term as Nicaragua’s leader

Associated Press  

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega was sworn in for a fourth consecutive term Monday following elections considered rigged and on a day marked by sanctions from the United States and European Union against members of his government. On Monday evening, Ortega called for the lifting of sanctions against Venezuela and Cuba — both of whose leaders attended the …

Nicaragua detains former OAS ambassador, critic of Ortega
3 years, 1 month ago

Nicaragua detains former OAS ambassador, critic of Ortega

Al Jazeera  

Edgard Parrales was picked up by unidentified men near his home in Managua, his wife and a rights observer say. Nicaragua’s former ambassador to the Organization of American States – who has been critical of President Daniel Ortega – has been detained in Managua, according to his wife and a human rights observer. Edgard Parrales was picked up by identified …

Nicaragua’s Ortega decries foes who question his re-election
3 years, 1 month ago

Nicaragua’s Ortega decries foes who question his re-election

Associated Press  

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — A day after questioned elections, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s government on Monday set about painting as a historic democratic victory what many of the world’s democracies condemned as a sham. Ortega and Vice President and first lady Rosario Murillo celebrated the election results in Managua’s Revolution Plaza later Monday, with Ortega unleashing a torrent of abuse on …

What next for Nicaragua as Ortega prepares for fourth term?
3 years, 1 month ago

What next for Nicaragua as Ortega prepares for fourth term?

Al Jazeera  

Nicaragua faces critical moment after contentious vote, as experts say nation could see more repression, rights abuses. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has secured a fourth consecutive term in Sunday’s elections, despite facing a chorus of criticism from rights groups, opposition figures and international observers who decried the vote as “a sham”. “Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo’s renewed mandate as president …

EXPLAINER: What comes next after Nicaragua’s election
3 years, 1 month ago

EXPLAINER: What comes next after Nicaragua’s election

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega holds a commanding lead in results from Sunday’s election against a field of little-known challengers. The global human rights organization Amnesty International called Ortega’s apparent reelection “frightening.” “Once again, the people of Nicaragua find themselves in a situation where voicing criticism of the government puts them at grave risk,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas …

Nicaragua’s Ortega seeks re-election in questioned vote
3 years, 1 month ago

Nicaragua’s Ortega seeks re-election in questioned vote

Associated Press  

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega sought a fourth consecutive term in elections Sunday against a field of little-known candidates while those who could have given him a real challenge sat in jail. In a statement released around the close of voting, Biden called the process “rigged” and said the U.S. would use the tools at its disposal to …

Nicaragua’s Ortega set to win another term after ‘farce’ election
3 years, 1 month ago

Nicaragua’s Ortega set to win another term after ‘farce’ election

Al Jazeera  

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is on track to win a fourth consecutive term in office, preliminary results show, in an election denounced as “neither free nor fair” that was preceded by a months-long crackdown on opposition figures and candidates. Shortly before the early results were released, US President Joe Biden accused Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, of …

Op-Ed: Daniel Ortega, the freedom fighter-turned-despot in Nicaragua, runs for reelection
3 years, 1 month ago

Op-Ed: Daniel Ortega, the freedom fighter-turned-despot in Nicaragua, runs for reelection

LA Times  

When I left my house in Nicaragua in May to visit my children abroad, a fleeting thought crossed my mind: What if I was never able to return? Although Daniel Ortega’s regime had grown sharply more repressive and dangerous in response to a citizens revolt in 2018, I still didn’t seriously imagine that in a few months I would find …

Nicaragua’s Ortega seeks 4th straight term with foes in jail
3 years, 1 month ago

Nicaragua’s Ortega seeks 4th straight term with foes in jail

Associated Press  

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Back in May, the chances of Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega’s reelection to a fourth consecutive term on Sunday were looking good. The potential opposition candidates are still jailed or under house arrest, their parties banned, as Ortega faces off against a handful of little-known candidates from small parties friendly to his own Sandinista Front — factions known …

US Congress targets Nicaragua ahead of controversial polls
3 years, 1 month ago

US Congress targets Nicaragua ahead of controversial polls

Al Jazeera  

The United States Congress has approved legislation to sharply increase diplomatic pressure on the government of President Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, the latest move by a foreign government towards squeezing Managua ahead of controversial elections this weekend. “We are witnessing the worst authoritarian assault on democracy in Latin America in decades,” Senator Bob Menendez, the chair of the Senate Foreign …

Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramírez to live in exile in Spain
3 years, 2 months ago

Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramírez to live in exile in Spain

LA Times  

Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramírez says the government of President Daniel Ortega has imposed a system of “terror.” Writer and former Nicaraguan Vice President Sergio Ramírez announced Friday he will go live in Spain, after the government of President Daniel Ortega tried to arrest him and banned his latest book. In September, Ortega’s government issued an arrest warrant for him for …

Nicaragua orders arrest of prominent writer Sergio Ramirez
3 years, 3 months ago

Nicaragua orders arrest of prominent writer Sergio Ramirez

Al Jazeera  

President Daniel Ortega has been accused of cracking down on critics, political opponents ahead of November elections. Sergio Ramirez, who in 2017 won the Premio Cervantes, the most prestigious literary award in the Spanish-speaking world, is accused of “incitement of hate” and “conspiracy” – charges that have been used several times in the arrests of political opponents and candidates set …

Nicaragua’s poll body disqualifies main opposition party
3 years, 4 months ago

Nicaragua’s poll body disqualifies main opposition party

Al Jazeera  

Nicaragua’s electoral council has disqualified the country’s main opposition party from upcoming presidential polls, in which it headed an alliance against the reelection of President Daniel Ortega. The council ordered on Friday the “annulment of the legal status of the Citizens for Liberty party,” according to a court resolution read before pro-government media by the body’s secretary, Luis Luna. According …

Nicaragua’s upcoming election ‘has lost all credibility’, US says
3 years, 4 months ago

Nicaragua’s upcoming election ‘has lost all credibility’, US says

Al Jazeera  

US condemns President Daniel Ortega’s crackdown on opposition leaders and potential opponents ahead of November 7 polls. The upcoming election in Nicaragua “has lost all credibility”, the United States has said, amid a string of arrests of presidential hopefuls and the disqualification of the main opposition party set to challenge President Daniel Ortega in the November polls. “The United States …

Another Nicaraguan presidential hopeful arrested in crackdown
3 years, 5 months ago

Another Nicaraguan presidential hopeful arrested in crackdown

Al Jazeera  

President Daniel Ortega faces international rebuke for cracking down on potential opponents ahead of November elections. Another potential presidential contender has been arrested in Nicaragua as President Daniel Ortega’s crackdown on potential opponents in the lead-up to November elections continues. “The gravity and intensification of the Ortega government’s brutal crackdown on critics and members of the opposition in recent weeks …

Ambassadors recalled after latest Nicaragua arrest
3 years, 6 months ago

Ambassadors recalled after latest Nicaragua arrest

LA Times  

Nicaraguan journalist Miguel Mora speaks to the press June 11, 2019, after his release from prison, at his home in Managua. The presidential candidate was arrested Sunday, according to police, for alleged crimes against “independence and sovereignty.” Mexico and Argentina recalled their ambassadors to Nicaragua for consultations Monday, a day after President Daniel Ortega’s government arrested yet another presidential contender …

Nicaragua: Crackdown on Ortega’s potential challengers continues
3 years, 6 months ago

Nicaragua: Crackdown on Ortega’s potential challengers continues

Al Jazeera  

US imposes sanctions on Nicaraguan officials after four potential challengers to President Daniel Ortega arrested. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega faces mounting international criticism after four potential presidential contenders were detained during the past week, prompting United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday to call for their release. Chamorro Garcia, the cousin of another detained presidential hopeful Cristiana Chamorro – seen …

Nicaragua police detain another opposition presidential hopeful
3 years, 6 months ago

Nicaragua police detain another opposition presidential hopeful

Al Jazeera  

Arturo Cruz’s detention comes three days after opposition presidential candidate Cristiana Chamorro was placed under house arrest. Police in Nicaragua has taken opposition politician Arturo Cruz into custody, detaining a second presidential hopeful in less than a week and escalating the battle ahead of November elections in which President Daniel Ortega seeks to maintain his grip on power. Cruz’s detention …

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