Name? Daniel Ortega
Westphalian identity? Nicaraguan
Age? 75
Why is he in the news? José Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua and leader of the Sandinista Liberation Front, just won the elections to inaugurate his third consecutive term in office. That is if you ask him and his wife, Rosario Murillo, co-autocrat of the country. He was running up against seven other candidates, all of whom he either jailed or exiled, along with members of the press and activists.
Why do we care? Normally we are not thrilled about everyday elections, but Ortega made these particularly intriguing by orchestrating a blatantly fraudulent election day. Nicaraguan opposition (in this case, most of the population) protested the unfair elections in a mass abstention this Sunday. One citizen observatory calculated a 19,5% turnout; Ortega, on the other hand, published a turnout of 65% and gave himself 75% of the vote—congrats to him on the landslide victory!
Why should you care? Ortega-Murillos are charged with human rights violations against civilians, along with the oppression and persecution of the press and any opposition they encounter. A continuation of repression and build-up of resistance movements create not only violence against citizens, but their mass flight. This only adds to the displacement of people in Central America, all likely to head to the US-Mexico border. You should care 4/10.
Who else cares? US President Joe Biden repudiated the elections yesterday, calling them a “pantomime” and comparing Ortega to the Somoza dictatorship. Biden is considering new diplomatic and economic sanctions against the Ortega-Murillo government, as well as threatening their position in the CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement), risking 62% of their exports.
Any further comments? The South American community also condemned the elections yesterday. Carlos Alvarado, President of bordering Costa Rica, vowed that CR does not recognise the elections or Ortega’s government. Along with him, four latin American ex-presidents called for Nicaragua’s expulsion from the Organization of American States (OEA).
