Ortega's opponent, Nicaragua's presidential candidate, arrested

presidential candidate NicaraguaArturo Cruz was arrested Saturday (5) at the airport in Managua, the country’s capital, upon his return from a flight to the United States, according to information provided by his team to Reuters.

The Nicaraguan Public Ministry said the investigation against Cruz was based on “strong evidence that he attacked the Nicaraguan community,” but did not give details of the charges against him.

A former ambassador of the country to the United States between 2007 and 2009, Cruz, who was once an ally of the current president Daniel OrtegaHe is a candidate for the Citizen’s Alliance for Freedom, a coalition of right-wing parties that has the support of businessmen.

Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS)OASLuis Almagro called for Cruz’s release and said “the manipulation of the security and justice forces to arrest opposition candidates” is “unacceptable”.

Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua, poses for a photo to mark the country’s Independence Day, September 15, 2020 – Photo: Nicaraguan Presidency / Cesar Perez / Posted via Reuters

Cruz is not Ortega’s first opponent in the elections, Scheduled to be held in November, to be arrested. On Wednesday (2) the police broke into a house Christian Chamorro, daughter of former President Violetta Barrios de Chamorro (elected 1990, defeated Ortega) and identified as the opposition candidate with the greatest chances of winning the dispute; She is accused of money laundering and is under house arrest.

Ortega has been in power since 2007 and is seeking re-election for the third time in a row. Prior to that, he ruled Nicaragua between 1985 and 1990.