Ortega Sandinista

<div><div></div><div><a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trump-cabinet-bible-study-leader-sets-up-ministry-for-nicaraguan-strongman-sanctioned-by-u-s">https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trump-cabinet-bible-study-leader-sets-up-ministry-for-nicaraguan-strongman-sanctioned-by-u-s</a></div><div>
</div><div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Ralph Drollinger, whose ministry runs Bible studies for members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet and the U.S. Congress that are meant to “disciple” public officials to his particular “very conservative” interpretation of Christianity, traveled to Nicaragua this month at the invitation of President Daniel Ortega to discuss setting up similar Bible studies for Nicaraguan officials.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Drollinger <a href="https://www.chretiens.info/54149/capitol-ministries-au-nicaragua-ralph-drollinger-recu-par-daniel-ortega/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">spoke at a massive public gathering</a> celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution. Drollinger’s visit, and his <a href="https://youtu.be/bur_HW_j1MI" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">gracious remarks</a> for Ortega and his wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo, are striking in light of the intense criticism of the Ortega-Murillo regime by the U.S. government, which as recently as April <a href="https://share.america.gov/u-s-tightens-sanctions-nicaragua/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">expanded sanctions</a> against individuals and institutions associated with the government–not to mention the disconnect between Ortega and Drollinger’s political backgrounds.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">In an <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm662" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">announcement of the most recent sanctions</a>–against a bank and the son of the president and vice president—the U.S. undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article229380084.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">said</a>, “President Ortega, Vice President Murillo, and members of their inner circle continue to engage in blatant corruption, violence, and violations of basic human rights.” The government has also been criticized by international human rights advocates.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">The latest U.S. sanctions came about one year after Nicaraguan officials and their allies killed hundreds of people and jailed or drove into exile thousands more in a violent crackdown on political protesters. Ortega, who has faced “persistent accusations” of election fraud, has consolidated his power, changed the constitution to eliminate term limits, and blocked opposition candidates from running for office. In August 2018, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/from-rebel-to-strongman-how-daniel-ortega-became-the-thing-he-fought-against/2018/08/24/117d000a-97fe-11e8-818b-e9b7348cd87d_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.67657be75cbe" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Washington Post reported</a> that “police and masked gunmen working with them have hunted down opposition leaders and protesters by the hundreds” and that many “have been killed, arrested, or disappeared.” In September, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45380265?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cdl8n2ede8zt/nicaragua&link_location=live-reporting-story" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">reported</a> that the government had ordered the U.N. Commission on Human Rights to leave the country after it <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45341578" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">criticized</a> the government’s use of excessive force against protesters and torture of detainees.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This April, the newspaper El País <a href="https://elpais.com/internacional/2019/04/18/actualidad/1555544256_855149.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">reported</a> that repression under Ortega “has worsened during this year.” It cited a move by police to prevent regime opponents “from mobilizing in the streets of Managua.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">But there was no mention of any of that unpleasantness in Drollinger’s <a href="https://youtu.be/bur_HW_j1MI" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">remarks</a> at the July 19 celebration. He began his remarks by bringing greetings from the U.S. House of Representatives Bible study, the Senate Bible study, and “the U.S. White House cabinet member Bible study.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Drollinger pronounced himself “blessed” and “honored” by the invitation to come to Nicaragua for the celebration and to talk about creating Bible studies for government officials. “In the United States of America, we have found amongst our political leaders, that it is essential they have a Bible teacher in their midst,” Drollinger said. He reiterated that point, saying “we have found in our nation, that it’s an important aspect of our government to have a Bible teacher in the midst of our political leaders.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Mrs. Vice President has said you are a Christian nation,” he told the crowd. “In America, we view ourselves as a Christian nation. But what is a Christian nation? A Christian nation is a Christian nation to the degree that the people in the nation reflect the attributes of God.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Drollinger went on to say that it falls to the institution of the church to reflect the mercy, grace, love, patience and kindness of God, adding that other attributes include justice and righteousness, which God has “asked the state to manifest.”<blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; hyphens: none; background: rgb(239, 243, 243); padding: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0.75em 2em;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5;">We are personally to manifest the attributes of God’s justice and righteousness in our personal and our national life. And so to the degree that we reflect the love of Christ, to the degree that we reflect the mercy of Christ, to the degree that we reflect the grace of Christ, to the degree that we reflect the patience of Christ, to the degree that we reflect the justice of Christ, to the degree that our nation and our personal lives reflect the righteousness of Christ, is the degree to which we are or are not a Christian nation.</blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Let’s pause for a moment to remind ourselves <a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/a-how-to-guide-for-conservative-christian-public-servants-from-trump-cabinet-bible-study-teacher/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">what Drollinger and his Capitol Ministries teach</a> about what God wants from public officials. Drollinger believes he has been called by God with a very specific purpose—to convert and “disciple” public officials at every level of government to his biblical worldview. Drollinger teaches public officials that the Bible endorses or mandates right-wing policy positions on economics, immigration, environmental regulation, abortion, LGBTQ equality, and the death penalty. Drollinger teaches that the <a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trump-bible-study-leader-governments-job-is-to-quell-evil-and-punish-sin/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">government’s job is to “quell evil”</a> and that governments and public officials “<a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/trump-bible-study-leader-governments-job-is-to-quell-evil-and-punish-sin/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">must send a constant message that sin will be punished</a>.” He also teaches that the Bible promotes distinct gender roles, and he will not allow women to be Bible study leaders.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Drollinger’s teachings are reflected in his handbook for Christian public officials: <a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/a-how-to-guide-for-conservative-christian-public-servants-from-trump-cabinet-bible-study-teacher/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Oaks in Office: Biblical Essays for Political Leaders</a>. Capitol Ministries <a href="https://capmin.org/bible-ministry-to-launch-to-nicaragua-presidential-cabinet-and-congress/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">says</a> that the Spanish-language edition is soon to be released and “will be used in the discipleship of the nation’s leaders.” Another Drollinger book, “Rebuilding America: The Biblical Blueprint,” has also been translated into Spanish and Portuguese with a new title, “Rebuilding a Nation.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">What might motivate Ortega and Murillo to invite Drollinger to Nicaragua and give him a speaking platform at a major national celebration? It’s a way to publicly wrap themselves in the mantle of Christianity, and perhaps poke a finger in the eye of the U.S. Treasury and State Departments by going over officials’ heads, so to speak, to an American who brags of his access at the highest levels of the U.S. government, including the White House.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This wouldn’t be the first time that Ortega and his wife have used religion for political purposes. A 2018 Washington Post article entitled “From Rebel to Strongman,” noted that when Ortega returned to office in 2006 a decade and a half after he was ousted by voters, he had <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/from-rebel-to-strongman-how-daniel-ortega-became-the-thing-he-fought-against/2018/08/24/117d000a-97fe-11e8-818b-e9b7348cd87d_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.67657be75cbe" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">“amped up his talk of peace and Christian values.”</a>  The BBC quoted Ortega saying in 2006, “<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-15544315" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Jesus Christ is my hero now</a>.” According to Capitol Ministries, <a href="https://capmin.org/nicaragua-president-to-cm-come-establish-bible-studies-to-national-leaders/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Ortega’s invitation</a> said, “We know if the people that God has trusted with the destiny of a nation are born again, our legislators will legislate according to the Bible.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">By <a href="https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2018/09/nicaragua-christians-attacked-detained-and-killed-as-enemies-of-the-regime/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">one estimate</a>, Nicaragua is about one-half Catholic and one-third evangelical. While Ortega’s opposition to abortion has undoubtedly pleased church leaders from both groups, the government became increasingly hostile to the Catholic Church during the past year over some church leaders’ criticism of his abuses of power.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Foreign Policy <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/08/03/nicaraguas-catholic-church-made-a-deal-with-the-devil/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">reported</a> last August, “In recent weeks, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and forces loyal to him have targeted clergy, profaning and destroying Catholic churches, even killing those who seek refuge within them.” Foreign Policy noted that Vice President Mike Pence had slammed the Nicaraguan government for “virtually waging war on the Catholic Church and those calling for democracy and national dialogue.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It’s worth noting that Drollinger has seemingly <a href="https://capmin.org/theological-liberalism-in-america/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">little tolerance</a> for those whose take on Christianity or biblical interpretation differs from his own. He has <a href="https://splinternews.com/the-trump-cabinet-has-its-own-weekly-far-right-bible-st-1794471769" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">called the Catholic Church “the world’s largest false religion.”</a><p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Given the hostility between the Nicaraguan government and the Catholic Church, the public embrace of Drollinger could be seen as a way for Ortega and Murillo to portray their government as publicly aligned with Christianity in spite of their feud with Catholic leaders.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Indeed, in April, shortly after presidential son Laureano Ortega Murillo was hit with sanctions by the U.S. government, he took part in an evangelical gathering where Managua Mayor Reyna Rueda was given the microphone to thank God for “the peace that reigns in our country.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">The appearance generated some side-eye reporting on the leaders’ newfound enthusiasms. “Until recently, it was normal to see the Ortega Murillo family attending mass,” <a href="https://www.laprensa.com.ni/2019/04/29/nacionales/2545654-regimen-ortega-murillo-ahora-es-evangelico" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">noted</a> La Presna. “But since the dictatorship declared the Catholic Church as an enemy, they have moved closer to certain evangelical leaders, whose position during the crisis that Nicaragua is going through has been silence.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">La Prensa quoted Eliseo Nunez, a former deputy and member of the Broad Front for Democracy (FAD) portraying the ruling family as unprincipled and willing to do anything to maintain their hold on power. He accused Ortega of “taking advantage of the opportunism of a few pastors” in order to falsely portray all evangelicals as his supporters. There were also some Catholic leaders present at the July 19 celebration, La Presna reported, including a priest who <a href="https://www.laprensa.com.ni/2019/07/19/politica/2570948-daniel-ortega-cierra-la-puerta-del-dialogo-y-dice-que-se-esta-preparando-para-las-elecciones-de-2021" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">asked Drollinger</a> to intercede with the U.S. government to lift its sanctions.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Capitol Ministries’ own <a href="https://capmin.org/bible-ministry-to-launch-to-nicaragua-presidential-cabinet-and-congress/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">reporting</a> about Drollinger’s public appearance in Nicaragua, which includes a link to the video of his “sermon,” states, “Drollinger explained that in the Bible, God doesn’t talk about ‘Christian nations,’ that only individuals can become Christians by being forgiven for sin through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.” But that’s not accurate, according to the video of Drollinger’s remarks at the political rally. At no point does he “explain” that “God doesn’t talk about ‘Christian nations’”—nor does he talk on that video about “individuals becoming forgiven for sin through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.” [See update below for Capitol Ministries’ explanation.]<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“A ‘Christian nation’ per se, doesn’t exist,” continues the Capitol Ministries <a href="https://capmin.org/bible-ministry-to-launch-to-nicaragua-presidential-cabinet-and-congress/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">blog post</a>, “Nations can only be so-called ‘Christian’ to the extent that their laws and people are guided by Christian principles, two of which are righteousness and justice, Drollinger said.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Drollinger did not tell the crowd in Managua that a “Christian nation” doesn’t exist. As noted above, he did say that what makes a nation a Christian nation is that its people and leaders reflect what he calls the attributes of God. He prayed that the people, government officials and country of Nicaragua would reflect the attributes of God, and added, “May God cement these ideas as to what is a Christian nation.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This apparent misrepresentation* of his public remarks, at least those captured on the video shared by Capitol Ministries itself, may reflect the group’s sensitivity to how researchers and reporters have characterized Drollinger’s positions on church-state separation—he says he supports institutional separation, but not influential separation—and on Christian nationalism, which he has denounced.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Drollinger’s public remarks were translated into Spanish by Oscar Zamora, Capitol Ministries’ Peru-based director for Latin America. Zamora <a href="https://capmin.org/nicaragua-president-to-cm-come-establish-bible-studies-to-national-leaders/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">reported</a> that he recently met with Nicaraguan congressional leaders and with General Inspector Jaime Vanegas “who asked me to give a word to almost 200 police officers who were waiting for me at an auditorium next door.” He also said he had met with Managua Mayor Rueda.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">After the trip, Capitol Ministries announced that Bible studies for Nicaragua’s cabinet and National Assembly deputies will be led by Arsenio Herrera, who reportedly pastors the largest evangelical church in Managua. Herrera, described as the “spiritual son” of the late American missionary David Spencer, has his own ambitious plans to have a church in every city in the country to go along with his TV ministries. “<a href="https://www.laprensa.com.ni/2015/05/16/religion-y-fe/1833147-somos-una-iglesia-de-nacion" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">We are a national church</a>,” he said in 2015. A few years ago he <a href="https://www.daystar.com/ondemand/video/?video=4604444829001" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">told the Daystar network</a> that he is “believing for the transformation of the nation.” Daystar described him as “working to establish the Kingdom of God in Nicaragua.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Capitol Ministries <a href="https://capmin.org/bible-ministry-to-launch-to-nicaragua-presidential-cabinet-and-congress/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">says</a> it “has planted ministries in 24 foreign federal capitals and has an objective of establishing 200 ministries in 200 foreign nations in the years to come.” It says that since Zamora’s appointment as Latin America director, “ministries have been birthed in <a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/president-of-honduras-wants-his-cabinet-to-show-same-values-and-spiritual-maturity-as-trumps/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Honduras</a>, Uruguay, Ecuador, Mexico, and Costa Rica.” And it has asked its supporters to pray “for upcoming launches in the federal capitals of Brasilia, Brazil on August 29, and Panama City, Panama on October 22.”<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; font-weight: 700;">*Update: After this blog post was published, Capitol Ministries contacted Right Wing Watch to let us know that its <a href="https://capmin.org/bible-ministry-to-launch-to-nicaragua-presidential-cabinet-and-congress/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">story</a> about Drollinger’s Nicaragua trip has been edited to clarify that the comments attributed to him that do not appear in the video were meant to be described as things he said later to “explain” the “intent” of his talk in Nicaragua. With this clarification, the CM post no longer appears to report inaccurately what he told the crowd; readers can judge for themselves how closely his actual remarks, which described what makes a nation a Christian nation, matched what Capitol Ministries says was his intent.</div><div>=</div><div>
</div><div></div><div>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega</div><div>
</div><div>José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (Spanish pronunciation: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Spanish" title="Help:IPA for Spanish" style="background: none; text-decoration: none !important;">[daˈnjel oɾˈteɣa]</a>; born November 11, 1945) is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaragua" title="Nicaragua" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Nicaraguan</a> politician who has been <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Nicaragua" title="President of Nicaragua" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">President of Nicaragua</a> since 2007; previously he was leader of Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, first as Coordinator of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junta_of_National_Reconstruction" title="Junta of National Reconstruction" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Junta of National Reconstruction</a> (1979–1985) and then as President (1985–1990). A leader in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism" title="Socialism" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">socialist</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandinista_National_Liberation_Front" title="Sandinista National Liberation Front" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Sandinista National Liberation Front</a> (Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, FSLN), his policies in government have seen the implementation of leftist reforms across Nicaragua.Born into a working-class family, from an early age Ortega opposed ruling President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anastasio_Somoza_Debayle" title="Anastasio Somoza Debayle" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Anastasio Somoza Debayle</a>, widely recognized as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictator" title="Dictator" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">dictator</a>, and became involved in the underground movement against his regime. Joining the Sandinistas, he also travelled to Cuba to receive training in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerilla_warfare" class="mw-redirect" title="Guerilla warfare" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">guerilla warfare</a> from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_Castro" title="Fidel Castro" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Fidel Castro</a>'s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism-Leninism" class="mw-redirect" title="Marxism-Leninism" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Marxist-Leninist</a> government. After the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguan_Revolution" title="Nicaraguan Revolution" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Nicaraguan Revolution</a> resulted in the overthrow and exile of Somoza's government, Ortega became leader of the ruling multipartisan <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junta_of_National_Reconstruction" title="Junta of National Reconstruction" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Junta of National Reconstruction</a>. A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxist-Leninist" class="mw-redirect" title="Marxist-Leninist" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Marxist-Leninist</a>, his first period in office was characterized by a controversial program of nationalization, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_reform" title="Land reform" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">land reform</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_redistribution" class="mw-redirect" title="Wealth redistribution" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">wealth redistribution</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguan_Literacy_Campaign" title="Nicaraguan Literacy Campaign" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">literacy programs</a>.Ortega's relationship with the United States was never very cordial, due to U.S. support for Somoza prior to the revolution.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-1" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[1]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[2]</a> Although the U.S. supplied post-revolution Nicaragua with tens of millions of dollars in economic aid,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-3" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[3]</a> relations broke down when the Sandinistas supplied weapons to leftist El Salvadoran rebels (something which Ortega later admitted occurred).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[4]</a> His government was opposed by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contras" title="Contras" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Contras</a> in a vicious civil war; the Contras were funded by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reagan_administration" class="mw-redirect" title="Reagan administration" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Reagan administration</a> of the United States. A joint peace proposal by the Democratic Speaker of the House Jim Wright and Ronald Reagan helped precipitate a peace agreement at a meeting of five Central American chiefs of state in July 1987, which won Costa Rican President Oscar Arias the Nobel Peace Prize. This led to free elections in which Ortega was defeated by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violeta_Chamorro" title="Violeta Chamorro" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Violeta Chamorro</a> in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguan_general_election,1990" title="Nicaraguan general election, 1990" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">1990 presidential election</a>, but he remained an important figure in Nicaraguan opposition politics, gradually moderating in his political position from Marxism–Leninism to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism" title="Democratic socialism" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">democratic socialism</a>.Ortega was an unsuccessful candidate for president in 1996 and 2001, before winning the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguan_general_election,2006" title="Nicaraguan general election, 2006" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">2006 presidential election</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-5" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[5]</a> In office, he made alliances with fellow Latin American socialists, such as Venezuelan President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Ch%C3%A1vez" title="Hugo Chávez" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Hugo Chávez</a>, and under his leadership, Nicaragua joined the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivarian_Alliance_for_the_Americas" class="mw-redirect" title="Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas</a>.<div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); padding: 7px; display: table; zoom: 1;"><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><h2 style="background: none; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; display: inline; line-height: 1.3;">Contents</h2>  [<a role="button" tabindex="0" id="togglelink" style="background: none; cursor: pointer;">hide</a>] </div><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#Personal_life" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">1Personal life</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#The_Sandinista_revolution.281979.E2.80.931990.29" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">2The Sandinista revolution (1979–1990)</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#Interim_years.281990.E2.80.932006.29" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">3Interim years (1990–2006)</a><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#Sexual_abuse_allegations" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">3.1Sexual abuse allegations</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#2006_Presidential_election" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">3.22006 Presidential election</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#Second_presidency.282006.E2.80.93present.29" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4Second presidency (2006–present)</a><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#Foreign_policy" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.1Foreign policy</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#Electoral_history_of_Daniel_Ortega" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">5Electoral history of Daniel Ortega</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#References" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#External_links" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">7External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3;">Personal life[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_Ortega&action=edit&section=1&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Personal life" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Ortega was born in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Libertad,Chontales" title="La Libertad, Chontales" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">La Libertad</a>, department of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chontales_Department" title="Chontales Department" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Chontales</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaragua" title="Nicaragua" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Nicaragua</a>. His parents, Daniel Ortega Cerda and Lidia Saavedra, were opposed to the regime of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anastasio_Somoza_Debayle" title="Anastasio Somoza Debayle" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Anastasio Somoza Debayle</a>. His mother was imprisoned by Somoza's National Guard for being in possession of "love letters" which the police stated were coded political missives. He has two brothers, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humberto_Ortega" title="Humberto Ortega" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Humberto Ortega</a>, former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General" class="mw-redirect" title="General" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">General</a>, military leader and published writer, and Camilo Ortega, who died during combat in 1978. He also had a sister named Germania who is also deceased.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-6" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[6]</a>Ortega was arrested for political activities at the age of 15,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-RT-7" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[7]</a> and quickly joined the then-underground <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandinista_National_Liberation_Front" title="Sandinista National Liberation Front" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Sandinista National Liberation Front</a> (FSLN).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-LP-8" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[8]</a> He was imprisoned in 1967 for taking part in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_robbery" title="Bank robbery" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">robbing</a> a branch of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_America" title="Bank of America" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Bank of America</a> while brandishing a machine gun, but was released in late 1974 along with other Sandinista prisoners in exchange for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somocista" class="mw-redirect" title="Somocista" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Somocista</a> hostages. While he was imprisoned at the El Modelo jail, just outside <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Managua" title="Managua" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Managua</a>, he wrote poems, one of which he titled "I Never Saw Managua When Miniskirts Were in Fashion".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-LO-9" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[9]</a> During his imprisonment, Ortega was severely tortured.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[10]</a> After his release, Ortega was exiled to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba" title="Cuba" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Cuba</a>, where he received several months of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrilla" class="mw-redirect" title="Guerrilla" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">guerrilla</a> training. He later returned to Nicaragua secretly.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-11" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[11]</a>Ortega married <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosario_Murillo" title="Rosario Murillo" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Rosario Murillo</a> in 1979 in a secret ceremony.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-autogenerated2-12" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[12]</a> and moved to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica" title="Costa Rica" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Costa Rica</a> with her three children from a previous marriage.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-autogenerated1-13" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[13]</a> Ortega remarried Murillo in 2005 to have the marriage recognized by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Church" class="mw-redirect" title="Roman Catholic Church" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Roman Catholic Church</a>. The couple has eight children,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[14]</a> three of them together.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-RT-7" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[7]</a> She is currently the government's spokeswoman and a government minister, among other positions.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-15" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[15]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-16" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[16]</a> Ortega adopted stepdaughter Zoilamérica Narváez in 1986, through a court case.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-envio1567-17" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[17]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3;">The Sandinista revolution (1979–1990)[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_Ortega&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: The Sandinista revolution (1979–1990)" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2><div role="note" class="hatnote" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">For more details on Ortega's past presidency, see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandinista_National_Liberation_Front" title="Sandinista National Liberation Front" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Sandinista National Liberation Front</a>.</div>When Somoza was overthrown by the FSLN in July 1979, Ortega became a member of the five-person <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junta_of_National_Reconstruction" title="Junta of National Reconstruction" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Junta of National Reconstruction</a>, which also included Sandinista militant <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mois%C3%A9s_Hassan&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Moisés Hassan (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Moisés Hassan</a>, novelist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergio_Ram%C3%ADrez" title="Sergio Ramírez" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Sergio Ramírez</a>, businessman <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonso_Robelo" title="Alfonso Robelo" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Alfonso Robelo</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violeta_Barrios_de_Chamorro" class="mw-redirect" title="Violeta Barrios de Chamorro" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Violeta Barrios de Chamorro</a>, the widow of a murdered journalist. The FSLN came to dominate the junta, Robelo and Chamorro resigned, and in 1981 Ortega became the coordinator of the Junta.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-18" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[18]</a> As the only member of the FSLN National Directorate in the Junta, he was the effective leader of the country. The FSLN embarked upon an ambitious programme of social reform upon attaining power. 5 million acres of land were redistributed to about 100,000 families, a literacy drive was launched, and health improvements were carried out which got rid of polio and reduced other diseases.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-19" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[19]</a> The Sandinista government implemented a policy of forced conscription for all men aged 17 to 35. The Sandinistas used this army to help guerrilla groups throughout <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_America" title="Central America" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Central America</a>. Ortega pursued a policy of centrally <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_economy" title="Planned economy" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">planned economy</a> and nationalization. Ortega took a very hard line against opposition to his policies: On 21 February 1981, the Sandinista army killed 7 Miskito Indians and wounded 17.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-OAS-20" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[20]</a> Forced displacement has also been documented to have occurred with the native population: 10,000 individuals had been moved by 1982.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-OAS-20" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[20]</a> Thousands of Indians took refuge in Honduras and 14,000 were imprisoned in Nicaragua. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropologist" title="Anthropologist" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Anthropologist</a> Gilles Bataillon termed this "politics of ethnocide" in Nicaragua.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-21" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[21]</a> The Indians formed two rebel groups – the Misura and Misurasata. They were joined in the north by Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN) and in the south by former Sandinistas and peasantry who under the leadership of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed%C3%A9n_Pastora" title="Edén Pastora" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Edén Pastora</a> were resisting forced collectivization.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-OAS-20" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[20]</a> In 1980 the Sandinista government launched the massive <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguan_Literacy_Campaign" title="Nicaraguan Literacy Campaign" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Nicaraguan Literacy Campaign</a>, and claimed the illiteracy rate fell from 50% to 13% in the span of five months; these figures are disputed, as many "unteachable" illiterates were omitted from the statistics, and because many people declared literate turned out to be unable to read or write a simple sentence. The UNESCO rewarded Nicaragua the Nadezhda K. Krupskaya price in recognition of its efforts.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-22" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[22]</a>[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Identifying_reliable_sources" title="Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">unreliable source?</a>] The FSLN also focused on improving the Nicaraguan health system, particularly through vaccination campaigns and the construction of public hospitals, and halved child mortality<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-23" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[23]</a> to 40 deaths per thousand.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-24" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[24]</a>In 1981, United States President <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan" title="Ronald Reagan" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Ronald Reagan</a> accused the FSLN of joining with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union" title="Soviet Union" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Soviet</a>-backed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba" title="Cuba" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Cuba</a> in supporting <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism" title="Marxism" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Marxist</a> revolutionary movements in other <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America" title="Latin America" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Latin American</a> countries such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Salvador" title="El Salvador" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">El Salvador</a>. People within the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reagan_administration" class="mw-redirect" title="Reagan administration" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Reagan administration</a> authorized the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Intelligence_Agency" title="Central Intelligence Agency" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Central Intelligence Agency</a> to begin financing, arming and training rebels, some of whom were former officers from Somoza's National Guard, as anti-Sandinista guerrillas. These were known collectively as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra(guerrillas)" class="mw-redirect" title="Contra (guerrillas)" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Contras</a>. This also led to one of the largest political scandals in US history, (the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Contra_Affair" class="mw-redirect" title="Iran Contra Affair" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Iran Contra Affair</a>), when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_North" title="Oliver North" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Oliver North</a> and several members of the Reagan administration defied the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boland_Amendment" title="Boland Amendment" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Boland Amendment</a>, selling arms to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran" title="Iran" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Iran</a> and then using the proceeds to fund the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contras" title="Contras" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Contras</a>. Soon the country was in a civil war that claimed 30,000 Nicaraguan lives.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-25" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[25]</a>The tactics used by the Sandinista government to fight the Contras have been criticized by some historians for their suppression of civil rights. On 15 March 1982, the Junta declared a state of siege, which allowed it to close independent radio stations, suspend the right of association and limit the freedom of trade unions. Nicaragua's Permanent Commission on Human Rights condemned Sandinista human rights violations, accusing them of killing and disappearing thousands in the first few years of the war.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-26" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[26]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-27" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[27]</a> However, some historians accuse the Contras of having a far poorer Human Rights Record during the same period, with documented cases of murder, rape and torture used to terrorize the rural population. There is also evidence that the Contras engaged in destruction of schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure, in order to disrupt the social reform programs of the Sandinistas.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-28" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[28]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-29" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[29]</a>At the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguan_general_election,1984" title="Nicaraguan general election, 1984" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">1984 general election</a> Ortega won the presidency with 67% of the vote and took office on 10 January 1985. International observers judged the election to be the first free election held in the country in more than half a century. A report by an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_government" class="mw-redirect" title="Irish government" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Irish governmentary</a> delegation stated: "The electoral process was carried out with total integrity. The seven parties participating in the elections represented a broad spectrum of political ideologies." The general counsel of New York's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Rights_Commission" class="mw-redirect" title="Human Rights Commission" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Human Rights Commission</a> described the election as "free, fair and hotly contested." A study by the US <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_American_Studies_Association" title="Latin American Studies Association" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Latin American Studies Association</a> (LASA) concluded that the FSLN (Sandinista Front) "did little more to take advantage of its incumbency than incumbent parties everywhere (including the U.S.) routinely do." However some people described the election as "rigged". According to a detailed study, since the 1984 election was for posts subordinate to the Sandinista Directorate, the elections were no more subject to approval by vote than the Central Committee of the Communist Party is in countries of the East Bloc.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-30" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[30]</a>33 percent of the Nicaraguan voters cast ballots for one of six opposition parties—three to the right of the Sandinistas, three to the left—which had campaigned with the aid of government funds and free TV and radio time. Two conservative parties captured a combined 23 percent of the vote. They held rallies across the country (a few of which were disrupted by FSLN supporters) and blasted the Sandinistas in harsh terms. Most foreign and independent observers noted this pluralism in debunking the Reagan administration charge—ubiquitous in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_media" class="mw-redirect" title="US media" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">US media</a>—that it was a "Soviet-style sham" election.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-31" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[31]</a>Some opposition parties <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boycott" title="Boycott" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">boycotted</a> the election, allegedly under pressure from US embassy officials, and so it was denounced as being unfair by the Reagan administration.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-32" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[32]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-sanctions-33" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[33]</a> Reagan thus maintained that he was justified to continue supporting what he referred to as the Contras' "democratic resistance".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-34" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[34]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3;">Interim years (1990–2006)[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_Ortega&action=edit&section=3&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Interim years (1990–2006)" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>In the 1990 presidential election, Ortega lost his reelection bid to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violeta_Barrios_de_Chamorro" class="mw-redirect" title="Violeta Barrios de Chamorro" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration: none;">Violeta Barrios de Chamorro</a>, his former colleague in the junta. Chamorro was supported by the US and a 14-party anti-Sandinista alliance known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Opposition_Union" title="National Opposition Union" style="background: none; text-decoration: none;">National Opposition Union</a> (Unión Nacional Oppositora, UNO), an alliance that ranged from conservatives and liberals to communists. Contrary to what most observers expected,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-35" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[35]</a> Chamorro shocked Ortega and won the election. In Ortega's concession speech the following day he vowed to keep "ruling from below" a reference to the power that the FSLN still wielded in various sectors. He also stressed his belief that the Sandinistas had the goal of bringing "dignity" to Latin America, and not necessarily to hold on to government posts.Ortega ran for election again, in October 1996 and November 2001, but lost on both occasions to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnoldo_Alem%C3%A1n" title="Arnoldo Alemán" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Arnoldo Alemán</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrique_Bola%C3%B1os" title="Enrique Bolaños" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Enrique Bolaños</a>, respectively. 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 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi%C3%B1ata" title="Piñata" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Piñata</a>", estates that had been seized by the Sandinista government (some valued at millions and even billions of US dollars) became the private property of various FSLN officials, including Ortega himself.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-36" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[36]</a>Ortega's policies became more moderate during his time in opposition, and he gradually changed much of his former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxist" class="mw-redirect" title="Marxist" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Marxist</a> stance in favor of an agenda of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism" title="Democratic socialism" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">democratic socialism</a>. His <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic" class="mw-redirect" title="Roman Catholic" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Roman Catholic</a> faith has become more public in recent years as well, leading Ortega to embrace a variety of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socially_conservative" class="mw-redirect" title="Socially conservative" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">socially conservative</a> policies; in 2006 the FSLN endorsed a strict law banning all <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion" title="Abortion" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">abortions</a> in Nicaragua.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-37" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[37]</a>Ortega was instrumental in creating the controversial strategic pact between the FSLN and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_Liberal_Party" class="mw-redirect" title="Constitutional Liberal Party" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Constitutional Liberal Party</a> (Partido Liberal Constitucionalista, PLC). The controversial alliance of Nicaragua's two major parties is aimed at distributing power between the PLC and FSLN, and preventing other parties from rising. "El Pacto," as it is known in Nicaragua, is said to have personally benefited former presidents Ortega and Alemán greatly, while constraining then-president Bolaños. One of the key accords of the pact was to lower the percentage necessary to win a presidential election in the first round from 45% to 35%, a change in electoral law that would become decisive in Ortega's favor in the 2006 elections[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">citation needed</a>].<h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;">Sexual abuse allegations[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_Ortega&action=edit&section=4&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Sexual abuse allegations" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>In 1998, Daniel Ortega's adopted stepdaughter Zoilamérica Narváez released a 48-page report<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-38" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[38]</a> describing how, she alleged, Ortega had systematically <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexually_abused" class="mw-redirect" title="Sexually abused" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">sexually abused</a> her from 1979, when she was 11, until 1990.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-time230398-39" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[39]</a> Ortega and his wife Murillo denied the allegations.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-guardian071106-40" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[40]</a> The case could not proceed in Nicaraguan courts because Ortega had immunity to prosecution as a member of parliament, and the five-year statute of limitations for sexual abuse and rape charges was judged to have been exceeded. Narváez took a complaint to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter_American_Human_Rights_Commission" class="mw-redirect" title="Inter American Human Rights Commission" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Inter American Human Rights Commission</a>, which was ruled admissible on 15 October 2001.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-41" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[41]</a> On 4 March 2002 the Nicaraguan government accepted the Commission's recommendation of a friendly settlement.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-envio1567-17" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[17]</a> As of 2006 Ortega continues to deny the allegations, but Narváez has not withdrawn them.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-guardian071106-40" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[40]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: none; line-height: 1.6;">2006 Presidential election[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_Ortega&action=edit&section=5&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2006 Presidential election" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3><div role="note" class="hatnote" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Main article: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaraguan_general_election,2006" title="Nicaraguan general election, 2006" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Nicaraguan general election, 2006</a></div>In 2006, Daniel Ortega was elected president with 38% of the vote. This occurred despite the fact that the breakaway <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandinista_Renovation_Movement" title="Sandinista Renovation Movement" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Sandinista Renovation Movement</a>continued to oppose the FSLN, running former Mayor of Managua <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herty_Lewites" title="Herty Lewites" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Herty Lewites</a> as its candidate for president. However, Lewites died several months before the elections.The FSLN also won 38 seats in the congressional elections, becoming the party with the largest representation in parliament. The split in the Constitutionalist Liberal Party helped to allow the FSLN to become the largest party in Congress; however, the Sandinista vote had a minuscule split between the FSLN and MRS, and that the liberal party combined is larger than the Frente Faction. In 2010, several liberal congressmen raised accusations about the FSLN presumably attempting to buy votes to pass constitutional reforms that would allow Ortega to run for office for the 6th time since 1984.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-42" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[42]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); line-height: 1.3;">Second presidency (2006–present)[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_Ortega&action=edit&section=6&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Second presidency (2006–present)" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>
Soon after his inauguration, Ortega paid an official visit to Iran and met <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_President" class="mw-redirect" title="Iranian President" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Iranian President</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad" title="Mahmoud Ahmadinejad" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</a>. Ortega told the press that the "revolutions of Iran and Nicaragua are almost twin revolutions...since both revolutions are about justice, liberty, self-determination, and the struggle against <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperialism" title="Imperialism" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">imperialism</a>."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-43" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[43]</a> Since the start of his second presidency, various measures have been introduced to combat hunger and to improve access to healthcare, education,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-wilsoncenter.org-44" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[44]</a> credit,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-45" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[45]</a>and social security.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-46" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[46]</a> In addition, other reforms have been carried out, including an enhancement of labour rights,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-47" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[47]</a> the introduction of low-interest loans and training for female micro-entrepreneurs in rural areas,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-48" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[48]</a> and the distribution of transport subsidies, scholarships, medicine, land titles, and 1housing materials throughout the population.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-wilsoncenter.org-44" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[44]</a> Altogether, these policies have helped to reduce high levels of poverty and inequality in Nicaragua.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-49" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[49]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-50" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[50]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-51" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[51]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-52" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[52]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-53" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[53]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-54" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[54]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-55" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[55]</a><table class="infobox vcard" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); border-spacing: 3px; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); margin: 0.5em 0px 0.5em 1em; padding: 0.2em; float: right; clear: right; line-height: 1.5em; width: 22em;"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center; font-weight: normal; background-color: rgb(222, 222, 222);" /></tr><tr><th scope="row" style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
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In June 2008 the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nicaraguan_Supreme_Court&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Nicaraguan Supreme Court (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Nicaraguan Supreme Court</a> disqualified the MRS and the Conservative Party from participation in municipal elections.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-counterpunch27feb09-56" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[56]</a> In November, 2008, the Supreme Electoral Council received national and international criticism following irregularities in municipal elections, but agreed to review results for Managua only, while the opposition demanded a nationwide review.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-57" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[57]</a> For the first time since 1990, the Council decided not to allow national or international observers to witness the election.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-58" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[58]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-59" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[59]</a> Instances of intimidation, violence, and harassment of opposition political party members and NGO representatives have been recorded.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-60" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[60]</a> Official results show Sandinista candidates winning 94 of the 146 municipal mayoralties, compared to 46 for the main opposition Liberal Constitutional Party (PLC).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-61" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[61]</a> The opposition claimed that marked ballots were dumped and destroyed, that party members were refused access to some of the vote counts and that tallies from many polling places were altered.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-62" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[62]</a> As a result of the fraud allegations, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union" title="European Union" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">European Union</a> suspended $70m of aid, and the US $64m.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-63" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[63]</a>With the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late-2000s_recession" class="mw-redirect" title="Late-2000s recession" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">late-2000s recession</a>, Ortega in 2011 characterised <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism" title="Capitalism" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">capitalism</a> as in its "death throes" and portrayed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivarian_Alternative_for_the_People_of_Our_America" class="mw-redirect" title="Bolivarian Alternative for the People of Our America" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Bolivarian Alternative for the People of Our America</a> (ALBA) is the most advanced, most Christian and fairest project.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-64" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[64]</a> He also said God was punishing the United States with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_crisis" title="Financial crisis" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">financial crisis</a> for trying to impose its economic principles on poor countries and said God was rewarding Nicaragua with an increase in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=GDP(PPP)&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="GDP (PPP) (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">GDP (PPP)</a> to $2,600 per-capita from $1,800 a decade ago. "It's incredible that in the most powerful country in the world, which spends billions of dollars on brutal wars ... people do not have enough money to stay in their homes."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ortega#cite_note-65" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[65]</a></div><div>
</div><div></div><div>
</div><div><dt class="title"></dt><dt class="title">omg</dt><dt class="title">
</dt><dt class="title">http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/05/19/what-guilt-does-the-us-bear-in-guatemala/blaming-the-us-for-guatemalan-deaths-is-easy-propaganda</dt><dt class="title">
</dt><dt class="title"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; line-height: 1.4375rem;" times="times" new="new" roman="roman" serif="serif" padding="padding" px="px" border="border" font-variant-numeric="font-variant-numeric" inherit="inherit" font-stretch="font-stretch" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"> Rios Montt prosecution was less about justice and more about using the courts to wage political propaganda campaigns to settle old scores. Rios Montt’s real crime was not genocide, according to prevailing logic, but his political beliefs. His polar opposite contemporaries in Central America will never be prosecuted because they were fighting for “progressive ideals.”<p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; line-height: 1.4375rem;" times="times" new="new" roman="roman" serif="serif" padding="padding" px="px" border="border" font-variant-numeric="font-variant-numeric" inherit="inherit" font-stretch="font-stretch" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">For the same reason, the United States does not bear responsibility for any excesses in the Guatemalan civil war.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; line-height: 1.4375rem;" times="times" new="new" roman="roman" serif="serif" padding="padding" px="px" border="border" font-variant-numeric="font-variant-numeric" inherit="inherit" font-stretch="font-stretch" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">And if the United States is considered complicit in any crimes in Central America, that same justice should extend to the former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and his brother and successor, Raul, who for decades ran the Cuban military. It was the Castro brothers, after all, who provided training and weapons for Ortega’s murderous rule, and helped spread the leftist insurgency throughout Central America, which Rios Montt used to legitimize his actions.Let’s take away the political labels and look objectively at the crimes. If Rios Montt is to be found guilty in 2013, for murders committed in the 1980s, then the current Nicaraguan president, Daniel Ortega, who led the dictatorial Sandinista junta during the bloody Nicaraguan civil war, and a contemporary of Rios Montt, should be tried on similar charges.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; line-height: 1.4375rem;" times="times" new="new" roman="roman" serif="serif" padding="padding" px="px" border="border" font-variant-numeric="font-variant-numeric" inherit="inherit" font-stretch="font-stretch" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Likewise, shouldn’t former insurgents who committed war crimes in the 1980s also face justice?<p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; line-height: 1.4375rem;" times="times" new="new" roman="roman" serif="serif" padding="padding" px="px" border="border" font-variant-numeric="font-variant-numeric" inherit="inherit" font-stretch="font-stretch" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Guerrilla leaders in El Salvador ordered assassination and urban terrorism in the 1980s, but now participate in its government. Should they not be tried for war crimes, too?<p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; line-height: 1.4375rem;" times="times" new="new" roman="roman" serif="serif" padding="padding" px="px" border="border" font-variant-numeric="font-variant-numeric" inherit="inherit" font-stretch="font-stretch" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Ideally, yes. But what purpose would that serve, a generation after the fact? The success of El Salvador as a market economy and multiparty democracy rests on the very uncomfortable fact that, in exchange for peace and national reconciliation, a lot of bad guys had to go free.<p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; line-height: 1.4375rem;" times="times" new="new" roman="roman" serif="serif" padding="padding" px="px" border="border" font-variant-numeric="font-variant-numeric" inherit="inherit" font-stretch="font-stretch" vertical-align="vertical-align" baseline="baseline" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">As imperfect as the U.S.-backed amnesty-for-peace deals in Nicaragua and El Salvador were, they worked. As rewarding as it would be to see Ortega or Sanchez Ceren or Fidel Castro or U.S. officials, share the fate of Rios Montt, it would not be in the interests of justice.</dt><dt class="title"></dt><dt class="title"><div class="entry" id="entry" data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" tag_entry="tag_entry" plid="plid" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="col entry_right full" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 4px; border: 0px; float: left; width: 569px;"><h3 style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/reese-schonfeld/disidencia-herejia_b_4980934.html" data-beacon="{" p="p" lnid="lnid" hdln="hdln" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; line-height: 24px;">Disidencia Herejía</a></h3><div class="comments_datetime" style="list-style: none; margin: 8px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 13px;">Reese Schonfeld | Posted 05.17.2014 | <a class="politics" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/politics" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px rgb(0, 136, 195); outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">Politics</a></div><div class="read_more" data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" follow_tags="follow_tags" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">Read More: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/jaime-wheelock" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Jaime Wheelock,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/new-yorker" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">New Yorker,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/disidencia" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Disidencia,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/panama-canal" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Panama Canal,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/central-america" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Central America,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/latin-america" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Latin America,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/herejia" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">HerejíA,</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/somoza" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Somoza,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/nicaragua" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Nicaragua,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/daniel-ortega" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Daniel Ortega,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/president-carter" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">President Carter,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/daniel-ortega-nicaragua" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Daniel Ortega Nicaragua,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/politics" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Politics News</a><hr style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;" /></div><div class="entry_content politics" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/reese-schonfeld/disidencia-herejia_b_4980934.html" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 10px 10px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: right;"><img src="http://s.huffpost.com/contributors/reese-schonfeld/headshot.jpg" alt="Reese Schonfeld" width="45" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; max-width: 100%; height: auto;" /></a>There is a Spanish word for dissent, disidencia, but Wheelock did not recognize it. In 1979, neither did Ortega, and the word seems entirely missing from the Nicaraguan vocabulary.</div><div class="entry_meta" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><a class="read_post_link" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/reese-schonfeld/disidencia-herejia_b_4980934.html" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Read Whole Story</a></div></div></div><div class="entry" id="entry" data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" tag_entry="tag_entry" plid="plid" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="col entry_right full" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 4px; border: 0px; float: left; width: 569px;"><div class="read_more_top world" style="list-style: none; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 2px 0px 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-color: rgb(0, 136, 195); border-image: initial; width: 569px; height: 1px;"><h3 style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/sandinista-revolution_b_1265367.html" data-beacon="{" p="p" lnid="lnid" hdln="hdln" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px;">Nicaragua: The Sandinista Revolution Continues!</a></h3><div class="comments_datetime" style="list-style: none; margin: 8px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 13px;">Dan Kovalik | Posted 04.10.2012 | <a class="world" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/world" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px rgb(0, 136, 195); outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">World</a></div><div class="read_more" data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" follow_tags="follow_tags" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">Read More: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/sandinistas" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Sandinistas,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/daniel-ortega" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Daniel Ortega,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/nicaragua" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Nicaragua,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/sandinista-movement" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Sandinista Movement,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/daniel-ortega-nicaragua" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Daniel Ortega Nicaragua,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/contra-war" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Contra War,</a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/sandinista-revolution" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Sandinista Revolution,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/world" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">World News</a><hr style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;" /></div><div class="entry_content world" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/sandinista-revolution_b_1265367.html" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 10px 10px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: right;"><img src="http://s.huffpost.com/contributors/dan-kovalik/headshot.jpg" alt="Dan Kovalik" width="45" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; max-width: 100%; height: auto;" /></a>For the most part, one struggles to find many in the U.S. today who still carry a torch for the Sandinistas. Since I was a young man, I have believed in the Sandinistas, and the latest news from Nicaragua has only confirmed my loyalty.</div><div class="entry_meta" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><a class="read_post_link" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/sandinista-revolution_b_1265367.html" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Read Whole Story</a></div></div></div><div class="entry" id="entry_" data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" tag_entry="tag_entry" plid="plid" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="col entry_right full" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 4px; border: 0px; float: left; width: 569px;"><div class="read_more_top world" style="list-style: none; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 2px 0px 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-color: rgb(0, 136, 195); border-image: initial; width: 569px; height: 1px;"><h3 style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joel-d-hirst/nicaragua-election_b_1081647.html" data-beacon="{" p="p" lnid="lnid" hdln="hdln" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px;">Nicaragua's Fraudulent Election Portends Trouble</a></h3><div class="comments_datetime" style="list-style: none; margin: 8px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; line-height: 13px;">Joel D. Hirst | Posted 01.09.2012 | <a class="world" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/world" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px rgb(0, 136, 195); outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">World</a></div><div class="read_more" data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" follow_tags="follow_tags" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">Read More: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/hugo-chavez-nicaragua" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Hugo Chavez Nicaragua,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/daniel-ortega-nicaragua" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Daniel Ortega Nicaragua,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/nicaragua-politics" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Nicaragua Politics,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/daniel-ortega-elections" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Daniel Ortega Elections,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/ortega-sandanista-elections" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Ortega Sandanista Elections,</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/world" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">World News</a><hr style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;" /></div><div class="entry_content world" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joel-d-hirst/nicaragua-election_b_1081647.html" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 10px 10px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: right;"><img src="http://s.huffpost.com/contributors/joel-d-hirst/headshot.jpg" alt="Joel D. Hirst" width="45" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; max-width: 100%; height: auto;" /></a>On Sunday Nicaragua's voters went to the polls in an electoral event fraught with controversy. The candidacy of President Ortega was itself illegal; the Nicaraguan constitution prohibits re-election.</div><div class="entry_meta" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><a class="read_post_link" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joel-d-hirst/nicaragua-election_b_1081647.html" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Read Whole Story</a></div></div></div></div></div></dt></div><div>==</div></div>