No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsLatin AmericaHumberto Ortega, Brother and Critic of Nicaragua's President, Dies

Humberto Ortega, Brother and Critic of Nicaragua’s President, Dies

General Humberto Ortega, former Minister of Defense and brother and critic of Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega, died on Monday in a military hospital in Managua due to cardiorespiratory arrest, the Nicaraguan Army reported.

“The patient Humberto Ortega Saavedra, 77 years old, presented cardiorespiratory arrest, and after attending to him with cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers, he did not recover from this condition, being declared deceased at 02:30 am,” the Army stated in a communiqué.

On Sunday, the Army had reported that General Ortega’s health condition had suffered “a sudden deterioration” in recent hours. On May 21, the Nicaraguan police installed a medical unit in the retired general’s house, a measure interpreted as house arrest by opposition media in exile.

The police custody began after he said in an interview that his brother Daniel, 78, lacked successors and his power would not withstand an eventual death. On May 28, President Ortega said in a public event that his brother had committed an act of “treason to the homeland” in 1992 by decorating a U.S. military officer.

The Ortega brothers were part of the Sandinista guerrilla that fought against the Somoza family dictatorship, which ruled the Central American country with an iron fist for more than four decades (1936-1979).

After the triumph of the revolution in 1979, Humberto Ortega became Army chief until 1995, while his brother took the reins of the government, first as a member of a junta and then individually.

In 1990, Daniel Ortega was defeated in elections, although he regained power in 2007 and has been successively re-elected in elections questioned by the United States and the European Union.

Trending Now

Costa Rica National Parks to Measure Tourism Impact

Costa Rica will now be able to measure the impact of tourism in its national parks, thanks to innovative environmental technology from The NeverRest...

US Cracks Down on Costa Rica’s Narco Network with New Sanctions

The US Treasury Department moved against a Costa Rican drug trafficking ring today sanctioning four individuals and two entities tied to cocaine smuggling and...

President Chaves Downplays Costa Rica’s Security Crisis Amid Record Homicides

President Rodrigo Chaves brushed off concerns about Costa Rica's surging violence during his Wednesday press conference, insisting the security situation "is not as serious"...

Former Zoo to Become Costa Rica’s First Urban Natural Park

Simón Bolívar Park, in San José, will be the first space in the country to become an Urban Natural Park. The project, led by...

Costa Rica’s Role in US Deportation Drama with Salvadoran Migrant

A Salvadoran man at the center of a heated US immigration battle could end up in Costa Rica if he accepts a guilty plea,...

Costa Rica’s Tourism Sector Alarmed Over Rising Violence and U.S. Criticism

Tourism leaders in Costa Rica are warning that rising crime and international criticism could damage the country’s reputation as one of Latin America’s safest...
spot_img
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