Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega has become what he once fought against

As many as seven presidential opponents have been arrested, and Ortega’s political opponents have fled the country, writes David Harding

Nicaragua's president Daniel Ortega and his wife, vice-president Rosario Murillo, lead a rally in Managua (AP)

Being cast as a political hero is fraught with dangers. Years ago, Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega was hailed by many in the west as just the kind of progressive revolutionary challenging the US that we should all get behind.

His Sandinista movement ousted the dictatorship of the dreaded Somoza family in 1979 and received the ultimate accolade by becoming the title name of a 1980 triple album (ask your parents) by punk royalty, The Clash.

Ortega was the chief liberator of Nicaragua, taking over a country in desperate straits which soon found itself fighting Washington-backed armed rebels, known as the Contras. He is the former altar boy who avenged his mother being imprisoned by the Somozas, by kicking out the hated dictator. Somoza was hunted down and killed in Paraguay. The assassination was codenamed “Operation Reptile”.

In two weekends’ time, Ortega, now an OAP, is seeking to be re-elected for a fourth time as Nicaragua’s president. Seeking is probably the wrong word. He has almost guaranteed that it will happen. His reputation as a political saviour is utterly demolished.

Ortega has been in power since 2007, making him one of the longest running leaders in the world. Before that, he ruled the country between 1979 and 1990, meaning that in total he has headed Nicaragua for more than a quarter of a century.

The 7 November elections have been dismissed by the US, the EU and the Organisation of American States as having been undermined. As many as seven presidential opponents have been arrested, and political opponents have fled the country. Newspaper offices have been raided. Demonstrations against his rule in 2018 led to more than 60 people losing their lives.

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Ortega’s running mate is Rosario Murillo, who also happens to be his wife. Critics argue that power is so concentrated in the hands of the family, any election will not be credible. US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said Ortega – and Murillo’s – main concern at the election is “to remain in power at all costs”. They will very likely be declared the winners when the results come in.

But that will surely only lead to further criticism, at least from outside the country. As Nicaraguan politics comes full circle, opponents now label Ortega a dictator, just like Somoza. He is unlikely to have more albums named after his politics anytime soon.

Yours,

David Harding

International editor