Opponents arrested again in Nicaragua

Police said in a statement on Sunday that Dora Maria Telles and Anna Margherita Vigil Guardian, two leaders of the opposition Onamus party, formerly known as the Sandinista Restoration Movement, were “arrested today.” Hours later, the police also announced the arrest of party chief Suen Barahona Kwan and party vice president Hugo Torres from Onamos. Police say the four are under investigation “for committing acts that undermine independence, sovereignty and self-determination, and for inciting foreign interference in internal affairs”.

Onamus condemned the arrests. “These actions against the leadership of Onamus are part of the Ortega regime’s escalation to suppress the democratic opposition,” the party said in a statement.

Eleven opponents arrested

Eleven opposition leaders have been arrested in Nicaragua since 2 June. Four of them were formal candidates for the November presidential elections.

As the news agency knows, in recent weeks, critical journalists have been questioned by the authorities Reuters.

According to Ortega’s supporters, the law is simply enforced. There is a law that prohibits potential candidates from receiving foreign funding or publishing “false” information.

Autocratic President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Morilla, have been in power since 2007. In 2018, the president launched a crackdown on ongoing demonstrations, killing more than 300 people. On November 7, Ortega will run for a fourth term as president.