The last few elections in Nicaragua have not been that free and fair. International election observers will not be allowed to cover this year’s elections. The process by which Daniel Ortega was allowed to run for reelection was controversial. Governance hasn’t been that transparent. Two US government officials and one academic were just kicked out of the country.
“This is a coup against the opposition because Ortega is afraid of us,” said Montealegre.
And now the opposition has withdrawn from participating in November’s elections because the Supreme Court removed Eduardo Montealegre, the current leader of the country’s “main” opposition political party, the Independent Liberal Party (PLI). The Supreme Court ruled on a legal issue from five years ago, returning control of the party to former party vice president Pedro Reyes Vallejos.
It really doesn’t make sense. Ortega was likely to win the presidential election by ~25%. But I guess one can never have too much control.
