Stay Or Go? Ortega's Crackdown Pushes Nicaraguans To Make Hard Choices
6 years, 1 month ago

Stay Or Go? Ortega's Crackdown Pushes Nicaraguans To Make Hard Choices

NPR  

Ortega's Crackdown Pushes Nicaraguans To Make Hard Choices Enlarge this image toggle caption Inti Ocon/AFP/Getty Images Inti Ocon/AFP/Getty Images Blanka Callejas looks out over the production floor of her family's factory just outside the Nicaraguan town of Granada. Enlarge this image toggle caption Carrie Kahn/NPR Carrie Kahn/NPR Callejas says she's not giving up, despite her company's sales having plummeted 40 percent since the crisis began last April. Ortega is one of Latin America's remaining allies with Venezuela's embattled President Nicolás Maduro, a relationship that has brought Nicaragua much scorn from the U.S. Last November, President Trump's national security adviser John Bolton included Nicaragua in a list of hemispheric enemies, along with Venezuela and Cuba, dubbing them the "troika of tyranny." Enlarge this image toggle caption Inti Ocon/AFP/Getty Images Inti Ocon/AFP/Getty Images "Going to exile has been a very painful and difficult decision," says Chamorro, the editor of a news and analysis website called Confidencial.

Venezuela Country President Costa Rica Sponsor Message Nicaragua Ortega Nicaraguan Nicaraguans Chamorro Managua Núñez Inti Ocon Crackdown Pushes Callejas  country  nicaraguans  president  stay  oconafpgetty  crackdown  pushes  hard  ortegas  leave  chamorro  nicaragua  nicaraguan  choices  ortega

History of this topic

Nicaragua withdraws from Migration and Labour Organizations amid human rights criticism
2 weeks, 6 days ago

Nicaragua withdraws from Migration and Labour Organizations amid human rights criticism

Firstpost  

The declaration comes a day after Ortega’s administration announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council, after experts selected by the organisation accused Nicaragua of rampant repression Nicaragua said Friday that it will quit the International Organization for Migration and the International Labour Organization, expanding its withdrawal from multilateral organisations in response to criticism of its human rights …

Nicaraguan government is cementing total control of the state and violating rights, UN experts warn
3 weeks, 1 day ago

Nicaraguan government is cementing total control of the state and violating rights, UN experts warn

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — The Nicaraguan government has dismantled the last remaining checks and balances and was “systematically executing a strategy to cement total control of the country through severe human rights violations,” a panel of United Nations experts warned Wednesday. “Ortega and Murillo operate a wide intelligence machine, surveilling the population and selecting the targets for the violation of rights, …

Nicaragua makes Daniel Ortega and his wife Murillo ‘copresidents,’ fueling democratic rebuke
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Nicaragua makes Daniel Ortega and his wife Murillo ‘copresidents,’ fueling democratic rebuke

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — Nicaragua’s Congress approved a constitutional reform on Thursday that would make President Daniel Ortega and his wife, current Vice President Rosario Murillo, “copresidents” of the Central American nation. The initiative was already pushed forward in November and because Ortega and Murillo’s Sandinista party control the congress and all government institutions, there was little doubt it would pass. …

Nicaragua approves reforms boosting power of President Ortega and his wife
3 months, 3 weeks 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’
4 months ago

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

LA Times  

In this 2018 photo, Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, lead a rally in Managua, Nicaragua. 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 …

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

Why Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega is cracking down on civil society
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Why Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega is cracking down on civil society

Firstpost  

Sometimes even major developments in smaller countries don’t get the global attention that they deserve. In the biggest single crackdown, the Daniel Ortega government banned civil society groups such as the Nicaraguan Red Cross, several Catholic charities, some sports associations including chess clubs and private universities. More than 5,000 civil society groups, media outlets, social and sporting clubs, and private …

Brazil expels Nicaraguan ambassador in retaliation as rift between leaders grows
7 months, 1 week ago

Brazil expels Nicaraguan ambassador in retaliation as rift between leaders grows

Associated Press  

SAO PAULO — Brazil’s government kicked out Nicaragua’s ambassador Thursday in retaliation for a similar move by the Central American country’s President Daniel Ortega. Brazil’s foreign ministry said it had decided to expel Nicaraguan Ambassador Fulvia Patricia Castro Matu in “application of the principle of reciprocity to the measure adopted by the Nicaraguan government about the Brazilian ambassador in Managua.” …

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

How Nicaragua is weaponizing immigration to the U.S.
1 year, 2 months ago

How Nicaragua is weaponizing immigration to the U.S.

NPR  

How Nicaragua is weaponizing immigration to the U.S. MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: For people all over the world looking to migrate to the U.S., Nicaragua has become a popular first stop. The Central American country has relatively lax visa rules, and flying directly there means people trying to head north can forgo the dangerous jungle trek through the Darien Gap …

Nicaragua leaves Organization of American States in ‘step away from democracy,’ U.S. says
1 year, 4 months ago

Nicaragua leaves Organization of American States in ‘step away from democracy,’ U.S. says

LA Times  

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega shakes hands with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel at an international gathering in Havana in September. The U.S. State Department called Nicaragua’s formal withdrawal from the Organization of American States on Sunday “another step away from democracy.” The OAS has long criticized rights violations under Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who has rejected those criticisms. “The Ortega/Murillo regime’s …

US calls Nicaragua’s decision to leave Organization of American States a ‘step away from democracy’
1 year, 4 months ago

US calls Nicaragua’s decision to leave Organization of American States a ‘step away from democracy’

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — The U.S. State Department called Nicaragua’s formal withdrawal from the Organization of American States on Sunday “another step away from democracy.” The regional body, known by its initials OAS, has long criticized rights violations under Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. “The Ortega/Murillo regime’s withdrawal from the OAS is another step away from democracy and further isolates Nicaragua from …

The Organization of American States warns Nicaragua it will keep watching even as the country exits
1 year, 4 months ago

The Organization of American States warns Nicaragua it will keep watching even as the country exits

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — The Organization of American States said Wednesday that it will continue closely monitoring Nicaragua’s democracy and human rights record even after the country’s imminent exit from the regional body later this month. OAS members made clear that Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega’s withdrawal from the organization his country has belonged to since 1950 would not mean losing a …

Nicaragua confiscates properties of 222 opposition exiles
1 year, 9 months ago

Nicaragua confiscates properties of 222 opposition exiles

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — The government of Nicaragua announced Friday it has confiscated properties belonging to 222 opposition figures who were forced into exile in February after being imprisoned by the regime of President Daniel Ortega. Those taken from prison and forced aboard a flight to the United States on Feb. 9 included seven former presidential hopefuls, lawyers, rights activists, journalists …

Five years since a crackdown began, what’s next for Nicaragua?
1 year, 11 months ago

Five years since a crackdown began, what’s next for Nicaragua?

Al Jazeera  

Daniel Ortega is one of Latin America’s great political survivors. The leftist rebel leader who seized power after toppling a right-wing US-backed regime in 1979, accepted defeat in elections in 1990. Demonstrations that began five years ago marked the start of the crackdown on dissent – with more than 300 people killed and tens of thousands leaving the country. Presenter: …

Nicaragua proposes suspending Vatican ties after comments
2 years ago

Nicaragua proposes suspending Vatican ties after comments

Associated Press  

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaragua ’s government said Sunday it has proposed suspending relations with the Vatican days after Pope Francis reportedly compared President Daniel Ortega’s administration to a communist or Nazi dictatorship amid a crackdown on the Catholic Church in the Central American country. “It is something from outside of what we are living, as if it were a communist …

Defiant ruling party supporters celebrate in Nicaragua
2 years, 1 month ago

Defiant ruling party supporters celebrate in Nicaragua

Associated Press  

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaragua’s ruling Sandinista political machine mobilized a few thousand of its faithful Saturday to celebrate the government’s decision to expel 222 opposition leaders, activists, priests, students and journalists. Carrying a portrait of Vice President and first lady Rosario Murillo, Lizbeth Chávez said “we are marching, celebrating our sovereignty, defending our sovereignty and telling the Yankee empire that …

US top envoy calls for ‘dialogue’ in rare call with Nicaragua FM
2 years, 1 month ago

US top envoy calls for ‘dialogue’ in rare call with Nicaragua FM

Al Jazeera  

Blinken calls for dialogue in the rare high-level contact between the countries, a day after 222 prisoners released. The call on Friday came a day after Managua released 222 political prisoners arrested in crackdowns in the wake of anti-government protests that began in the Latin American country in 2018. In a brief statement released after Friday’s call, US State Department …

Why has Nicaragua suddenly released more than 200 political prisoners?
2 years, 1 month ago

Why has Nicaragua suddenly released more than 200 political prisoners?

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The majority were then taken to a nearby …

Nicaragua frees 222 opponents of Ortega, sends them to US
2 years, 1 month 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 …

Nicaragua frees 222 political prisoners, sends them to U.S.
2 years, 1 month ago

Nicaragua frees 222 political prisoners, sends them to U.S.

LA Times  

Police stand guard in 2018 at a prison in Managua, Nicaragua, known as El Chipote, which was associated with torture during the Somoza dictatorship. Nicaragua’s authoritarian government freed 222 political prisoners and sent them to the United States on Thursday in a surprise move that appears aimed at easing stinging U.S. economic sanctions. The prisoner release, which Blinken atrributed to …

Inter-American Human Rights Court says Nicaragua in contempt
2 years, 3 months ago

Inter-American Human Rights Court says Nicaragua in contempt

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Inter-American Human Rights Court …

US targets Nicaragua’s gold sector in latest push against Ortega
2 years, 4 months ago

US targets Nicaragua’s gold sector in latest push against Ortega

Al Jazeera  

New sanctions are imposed in response to ‘attacks on democratic actors and members of civil society’, US says. Biden’s executive order gives the US Treasury Department “the authority to target certain persons that operate or have operated in the gold sector of the Nicaraguan economy”, the department said in a statement on Monday. “With President Biden’s new Executive Order, we …

Nicaragua authorizes entry of Russian troops, planes, ships
2 years, 9 months ago

Nicaragua authorizes entry of Russian troops, planes, ships

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has authorized Russian troops, planes and ships to deploy to Nicaragua for purposes of training, law enforcement or emergency response. In a decree published this week, and confirmed by Russia on Thursday, Ortega will allow Russian troops to carry out law enforcement duties, “humanitarian aid, rescue and search missions in …

Nicaragua withdraws from regional bloc OAS after election row
2 years, 10 months ago

Nicaragua withdraws from regional bloc OAS after election row

Al Jazeera  

The regional bloc was among several international organisations that slammed the 2021 re-election of President Daniel Ortega. In a statement, the OAS said Nicaragua remained a “full member and must comply with all its commitments” until the end of its current membership period. For its part, regional neighbour Venezuela – which officially withdrew from OAS in 2020 – quickly hailed …

Calls grow for Nicaragua to release jailed opposition figures
3 years, 1 month 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 student leader, ex-Sandinista commander
3 years, 1 month ago

Nicaragua sentences student leader, ex-Sandinista commander

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — Nicaragua sentenced a student protest leader and a former Sandinista rebel commander to prison Thursday on charges of “conspiracy to undermine national integrity,” the latest in a string of prison sentences following brief trials this month. Student leader Lesther Alemán, 24, who famously stood up to President Daniel Ortega and told him to surrender in 2018, was …

Nicaragua sentences seven opposition figures to prison
3 years, 1 month 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 …

Nicaragua sentences journalist, ex-minister for “conspiracy”
3 years, 1 month ago

Nicaragua sentences journalist, ex-minister for “conspiracy”

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — A judge in Nicaragua sentenced former presidential hopeful and journalist Miguel Mora to 13 years in prison Wednesday for “conspiracy to undermine national integrity.” Mora was the latest in a series of opposition political figures to be convicted and sentenced after trials lasting a few hours. The government of President Daniel Ortega had accused Mota of having …

Nicaragua sentences journalist to 13 years for ‘conspiracy’
3 years, 1 month 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 …

US slaps new sanctions on Nicaragua on Ortega’s inauguration day
3 years, 2 months ago

US slaps new sanctions on Nicaragua on Ortega’s inauguration day

Al Jazeera  

The move comes after President Daniel Ortega won a questionable consecutive fourth term in office in November. The United States on Monday imposed a new round of sanctions on Nicaraguan officials, including the defence minister, on the day President Daniel Ortega was sworn into office following highly questionable elections. Monday’s action, the latest sanctions targeting Nicaragua that the US has …

Nicaragua detains former OAS ambassador, critic of Ortega
3 years, 3 months 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 …

Families say Nicaragua prison conditions deteriorating
3 years, 4 months ago

Families say Nicaragua prison conditions deteriorating

Associated Press  

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Relatives of political figures held prisoner in Nicaragua since a series of arrests ahead of this month’s presidential election expressed concern Saturday about the declining health of the inmates and called for their immediate release. “My husband has lost 31 pounds since he was captured five months ago,” said Deyanira Parrales, wife of former Deputy Foreign Minister …

Explained: Why Joe Biden has barred Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega from entering the US
3 years, 4 months ago

Explained: Why Joe Biden has barred Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega from entering the US

Firstpost  

Not just Ortega, but the vice president of Nicaragua Rosario Murillo has also been barred by Joe Biden. Yet, US President Joe Biden imposed an entry ban on Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, vice-president Rosario Murillo – who is also Ortega’s wife and first lady – and his government. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega won more than 75 percent of the votes …

Nicaragua denounces OAS as President Ortega, wife banned from US
3 years, 4 months ago

Nicaragua denounces OAS as President Ortega, wife banned from US

Al Jazeera  

US President Joe Biden accuses Ortega government of using violence against protesters, jailing opponents to win election. US President Joe Biden on Tuesday banned members of the Nicaraguan government from entering the United States as he issued a broad proclamation in response to an election that Washington has denounced as rigged in favour of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. “The repressive …

Nicaragua’s Ortega decries foes who question his re-election
3 years, 4 months 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, 4 months 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, 4 months 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, 4 months 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, 4 months 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 …

Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega decries those who question his reelection
3 years, 4 months ago

Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega decries those who question his reelection

LA Times  

A motorcyclist rides past a mural of President Daniel Ortega, left, and revolutionary hero Cesar Augusto Sandino during general elections in Nicaragua on Sunday. 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 Rosario Murillo …

Nicaragua: Daniel Ortega on course for controversial fourth term
3 years, 4 months ago

Nicaragua: Daniel Ortega on course for controversial fourth term

Al Jazeera  

Sunday’s elections followed a months-long crackdown on opposition and have been criticised by observers. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega looked set to extend his rule into a fourth term following a controversial election on Sunday, after jailing top rivals and criminalising most dissent. International response US President Joe Biden tore into the Nicaraguan leader, saying in a statement issued before results …

Nicaragua veers to dictatorship as president holds election the US calls ‘sham’
3 years, 4 months ago

Nicaragua veers to dictatorship as president holds election the US calls ‘sham’

Live Mint  

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, running for a fourth consecutive term after imprisoning seven rivals, is widely expected to win an election on Sunday seen as a sham by the U.S. and opponents. Mr. Ortega’s only opposition at the ballot box comes from five small political parties aligned with him, which Nicaraguans call zancudo parties. More than 100,000 Nicaraguans have been …

After jailing rivals, Nicaraguan president poised for reelection
3 years, 4 months ago

After jailing rivals, Nicaraguan president poised for reelection

LA Times  

In Managua, a woman poses with a Daniel Ortega banner in September. Ortega has justified the wave of arrests by saying that those detained are “criminals who have conspired against the safety of the country.” In a meeting of the OAS in recent days, a Nicaraguan official accused the country’s critics of being “coup leaders” and of trying to “destabilize …

The ‘deep human rights crisis’ hanging over Nicaragua’s elections
3 years, 4 months ago

The ‘deep human rights crisis’ hanging over Nicaragua’s elections

Al Jazeera  

President Daniel Ortega is set to win a fourth straight term, but rights groups say November 7 vote is not free or fair. “These elections are taking place in the context of a deep human rights crisis,” Astrid Valencia, Central America researcher at Amnesty International, told Al Jazeera. “The government has charged many with serious crimes without providing substantiating evidence, …

Op-Ed: Daniel Ortega, the freedom fighter-turned-despot in Nicaragua, runs for reelection
3 years, 4 months 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 …

US Congress targets Nicaragua ahead of controversial polls
3 years, 4 months 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 …

US: Nicaragua’s elections ‘have lost all credibility’
3 years, 5 months ago

US: Nicaragua’s elections ‘have lost all credibility’

Associated Press  

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — The U.S. State Department said Thursday that next month’s presidential elections in Nicaragua “have lost all credibility” because of President Daniel Ortega’s arrests of critics and seven potential challengers. “We view the regime’s latest undemocratic and authoritative authoritarian actions, which have again been driven by a fear of an electoral loss, as the final blow against Nicaragua’s …

Nicaraguan opposition says elections “void and illegitimate”
3 years, 5 months ago

Nicaraguan opposition says elections “void and illegitimate”

Associated Press  

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaraguan opposition groups said Thursday that next month’s presidential election is “void and illegitimate” because of President Daniel Ortega’s arrests of critics and seven potential challengers. The opposition said those moves “ended any vestige of real electoral competition” in the Nov. 7 election, in which Ortega is seeking a fourth consecutive term. The statement accuses Ortega of …

EU says Ortega crushed prospect of fair Nicaraguan elections
3 years, 7 months ago

EU says Ortega crushed prospect of fair Nicaraguan elections

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union’s foreign policy chief said Monday that Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has crushed any prospect of free and fair elections in November by arresting dozens of opposition figures. He said that “President Ortega and Murillo must stop this autocratic spiral.” Last week, the EU slapped sanctions on Murillo and seven other senior officials accused of serious …

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