Nicaragua: Key opposition figure placed under house arrest

Nicaraguan police stormed into the home of opposition figure Cristiana Chamorro on Wednesday evening, a day after formally filing money laundering charges against her.

The police had raided her house in the capital Managua for more than five hours, and finally placed her under house arrest “in isolation,” her brother Carlos Fernando Chamorro said on Twitter.

He added that the police remained in her home. Photos and videos on social media showed police using force to keep her friends and family, as well as journalists, away from the scene.

Chamorro has emerged as a possible challenger to President Daniel Ortega in the upcoming November elections.

Earlier on Wednesday, a Managua court had ordered her detention on accusations of “abusive management, ideological falsehood” and “the laundering of money, property, and assets, to the detriment of the Nicaraguan State and society,” it said in a statement.

Who is Cristiana Chamorro?

Chamorro is a 67-year-old journalist and daughter of former President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, who defeated Ortega in 1990 to become the first female head of state in the Americas.

She does not belong to a political party but is widely seen as a possible unity candidate who could rally a fractured opposition against Ortega, who is yet to confirm that he will seek a fourth term.

Chamorro is also the vice-president of Nicaragua’s biggest newspaper, La Prensa.

What is she accused of?

The charges against Chamorro arise from her role as the head of a foundation for press freedom.

The Nicaraguan government has alleged financial irregularities related to the foundation which Chamorro quit in February, refusing to comply with a new law that required any person receiving money from abroad to declare themselves to the government as a “foreign agent.”

Prosecutors launched an investigation against her at the request of the government in late May.

Chamorro has rejected the charges against her, which she said are trumped up to keep her out of the presidential race.

A court on Wednesday granted a request from prosecutors to bar her from contesting the November elections or holding public office, citing the ongoing criminal proceedings.

The country’s electoral council, however, has not yet made a ruling on her eligibility.

Criticism from the opposition, abroad

Soon after Chamorro’s detention, the Nicaragua’s opposition parties issued a joint statement accusing Ortega of “unleashing a witch hunt” against candidates because he “fears going to a free, transparent and observed” election.

The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights condemned the police raid, calling it a “violation of human rights.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a visit to Latin America, denounced the Ortega government’s move against Chamorro, shortly before police entered her residence.

“Arbitrarily banning opposition leader (Cristiana Chamorro) reflects Ortega’s fear of free and fair elections. Nicaraguans deserve real democracy,” Blinken said on Twitter.

The Organization of American States also put out a statement warning that Nicaragua was “heading for the worst possible elections.”

“This process of systematic and repeated violations of the rule of law and of fundamental freedoms delegitimizes the electoral process even before it takes place,” it said.

Ortega, an ex-guerrilla who led Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, returned to power in 2007 and has since won two reelection bids.

Since 2018, His government has faced a political crisis triggered by massive protests against the policies of his government. 

• Nicaragua crisis explained

  Daniel Ortega: A Cold War relic

  Embattled President Daniel Ortega has been a fixed presence in Nicaraguan politics for decades. Following the fall of longtime dictator Anastasio Somoza, Ortega became president in 1985, heading the leftist Sandinista National Liberation Front. With deep ties to Fidel Castro, he faced US opposition. The Reagan Administration supported a right-wing guerrilla movement aimed at bringing him down.

• Nicaragua crisis explained

  Opposition figure and return to power

  After losing re-election in 1990, Ortega became a major opposition figure. Ortega finally won the presidency in 2006, riding the wave of leftist presidents in Latin America. He became a close friend and ally of Hugo Chavez. He has since changed tack, allying himself with the country’s traditionally right-wing business community and clergy.

• Nicaragua crisis explained

  Nicaraguan government consolidates power

  Coupled with changes in electoral law, Ortega has prolonged and cemented his rule. In 2016, he barred international observers and nominated his wife as vice-president. The pair won the election, which was condemned by the opposition and criticized internationally by the US, OAS and the EU.

• Nicaragua crisis explained

  Pension reform attempt

  In April 2018, Ortega announced a move to reform Nicaragua’s pension system, saying that fiscal changes were needed. The reform sought to impose a 5 percent tax on retiree and disability pensions while increasing social security contributions by up to 22.5 percent. The move unleashed large-scale protests nationwide, which have been the biggest challenge Ortega has faced during his modern tenure.

• Nicaragua crisis explained

  State repression and clergy mediation

  The pension plan was abandoned but protests continued, demanding Ortega’s ouster. UN Human Rights experts denounced the state’s harsh repression. As the death toll rose, Nicaragua’s Catholic Church has demanded that Ortega allow international organizations entry to Nicaragua to help investigate the deaths and tried to set up talks between the opposition and the government.

• Nicaragua crisis explained

  Government and opposition sit down

  The opposition, comprised of students and a wide range of civil society groups, sat down with the government for a round of talks on May 16. The Clergy said the talks would be focused on “justice, democratization, and peace.” The opposition’s main demand: new presidential elections in 2019. The government rejected the demands and talks broke down.

• Nicaragua crisis explained

  Catholic Church under fire

  Bishops and priests in the strongly Catholic country have played a key role in the crisis. In addition to mediating the peace talks that stalled in June, the bishops have also seconded the call for new elections. Ortega has described the bishops as “coup-plotters” against him, and Catholic leaders have faced threats, harassment and attacks. Protesters have marched in support of the priests.

• Nicaragua crisis explained

  Students as prime targets

  University students have been the vanguard of the anti-Ortega movement. Many violent crackdowns have taken place on university campuses, often involving heavy gunfire. While the students say that paramilitaries loyal to Ortega are behind the shootings, the president denies that the armed individuals are under government control. He has also described the protesters as “terrorists” and “criminals.”

• Nicaragua crisis explained

  Stalemate and instability

  The death toll in four months of violence has risen to over 300 according to human rights activists, though the Ortega government says it’s around 200. Protesters continue to take to the streets, describing torture, blacklists and job dismissals as repercussions for their demonstrations. In addition, the UN says over 20,000 people have sought asylum in Costa Rica in a crisis with no end in sight.

  Author: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez

adi/rs (AFP, AP)

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