No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsLatin AmericaOrtega's party in Nicaragua "seizes" five opposition municipalities and replaces mayors

Ortega’s party in Nicaragua “seizes” five opposition municipalities and replaces mayors

Five mayorships in the hands of the Nicaraguan opposition were “arbitrarily seized” by councilmen of President Daniel Ortega’s party, who appointed new pro-government mayors, denounced the aggrieved, with four months to go before the municipal elections.

These municipalities were led by members of the opposition Ciudadanos por la Libertad (CxL, right wing), a party whose legal status was withdrawn by the government in 2021, a situation which was taken advantage of by councilmen of the ruling ex-guerrilla Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN).

The municipal governments are those of the municipalities of El Cuá, San Sebastián de Yalí and Santa María de Pantasma, in the jurisdiction of Jinotega (north); in addition to Murra, in the department of Nueva Segovia (north); and El Almendro, in Río San Juan (south). So far there has been no official pronouncement.

Sandinistas occupy positions

“The mayor’s offices are taken and the FSLN councilmen already have their mayor and vice-mayor. They distributed the positions among themselves”, said to AFP Noel Moreno, defenestrated councilman of San Sebastián de Yalí.

The measure was executed under the allegation that “we do not have a party or legal status”, said Moreno.

The seizure of the mayor’s offices took place between Saturday and Monday with the deployment of anti-riot forces under the command of FSLN political leaders, who raised the FSLN flag in the occupied premises, according to the denouncers.

“Four months before the municipal elections [November 6], the regime arbitrarily seized four opposition mayors’ offices that were in the hands of the Citizens for Liberty (CxL-right) party”, denounced on Monday the electoral observation organization Urnas Abiertas in relation to the number of local governments seized on Monday by the ruling party.

The NGO, integrated by specialists in electoral issues, denounced an “absence of democratic conditions” in the run-up to the November 6 municipal elections.

From exile, the president of CxL, Kitty Monterrey, “strongly condemned” the occupation of local governments and demanded “respect for the physical integrity” of former councilors and workers.

In 2017, CxL won elections in five of the 18 municipalities held by the opposition, while 135 went to the FSLN.

In August 2021, CxL, which led an opposition alliance to compete with Ortega in general elections, was disqualified by the electoral tribunal. The pre-candidates of that grouping were imprisoned.

Ortega’s Election

Ortega, in power since 2007, He was reelected in November for a fourth consecutive term with most of his rivals imprisoned or in exile, amid international questioning and sanctions.

Monterrey considered that the government “is confirming that it has no interest in rehabilitating the electoral path”, which, he assures, “continues to be fundamental for Nicaragua to emerge from this deep crisis”.

In 2018, massive protests against a reform to the social security system that resulted in a demand for Ortega’s resignation left 355 dead and thousands exiled, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

The 76 year-old president considers that the demonstrations were an attempted coup d’état by his political rivals with the help of the United States, an event which, according to the government, was intended to be replicated in the framework of the 2021 elections.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Pushes USA to the Brink but Falls in Penalty Heartbreak

If you just caught the end of the USA vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup quarterfinal, you probably feel like you need another cup of...

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...

Life After MS-13 in El Salvador as Residents Seek a Fragile Peace

Esperanza Martinez lost three relatives who were murdered and saw numerous bodies left in the streets of her neighborhood, a former stronghold of the...

Chiquita Brands Leaves Panama Amid Protests, Talks Underway to Resume

Laid-off workers from the U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands said on Monday that they are hoping for the company’s return to Panama, after it...

Costa Rica’s Piangua Mollusk Threatened by Pineapple Farm Runoff

Costa Rica’s Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland, a 33,000-hectare haven of mangroves and rivers, is under siege from an unlikely source: pineapple farms. A study by...

Guatemala Makes History as They Face USA in Gold Cup Semifinal Showdown

Desperate to show progress under Mauricio Pochettino, the United States is looking to secure a return to the CONCACAF Gold Cup final on Wednesday...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica