Daniel Ortega: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:42, 25 July 2006

Revision as of 15:43, 25 July 2006

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Ortega stood for election again in October 1996 and November 2001, but lost on both occasions. In these elections, a key issue was the allegation of corruption. In Ortega’s last days as president, through a series of legislative acts known as “The [[Piñata]]”, estates that had been seized by the Sandinista government (some valued at millions and even billions US$) became the private property of various FSLN officials, including Ortega himself. It is also alleged that Ortega appropriated national bank funds for his personal account. In reference to these allegations, critics often call Ortega “El Piñatin”.

In 2001, the allegations of corruption against Ortega were somewhat overshadowed by those against [[Arnoldo Alemán]], who defeated Ortega in 1996 and was still president in 2001. However, Ortega was then confronted with other scandals. His stepdaughter, [[Zoilamérica Narváez]], made public allegations that he sexually abused her in 1998. As a member of Congress, Ortega claimed parliamentary immunity from prosecution at a court hearing on June 28, 1998. He claimed that the allegations were nothing more than an attempt to undermine support for the Sandinista Front. Entities in the United States, most notably [[Jeb Bush]], ran large ads in Nicaraguan newspapers associating Ortega with international [[terrorism]].

Ortega has long been accused of [[caudillo|caudillismo]] (anti-democratic politico-military populism) and excessively authoritarian leadership. Prominent Sandinistas including [[Sergio Ramirez]] and [[Herty Lewites]] have left the party or have been expelled for dissenting to Ortega’s power. Many such dissenters support a small splinter group, the [[Sandinista Renewal Movement]] (the Movimiento Renovador Sandinista or “MRS”), although this party eventually chose to support Ortega’s candidacy in the 2001 election. More recently, journalist [[Carlos Guadamuz]] was murdered for their reporting critical of Ortega. Others have received death threats, including the well-known political cartoonist [[Manuel Guillén]]. There is no clear evidence that Ortega was directly involved in any such incidents. [http://www.ifex.org/fr/content/view/full/67620/]