Topic: Daniel Ortega

Slain American's legacy continues in Nicaragua

Ben Linder, the only US citizen killed by US-backed contras during Nicaragua’s war in the 1980s, continues to inspire a new generation of foreign activists working with the country's poor.

Nicaragua divided over death of revolutionary leader

Tomás Borge was the last living founder of Nicaragua’s Sandinista Front for National Liberation (FSLN).

Family asks UN to help free former Peace Corps volunteer jailed in Nicaragua

Of the 725 US citizens in jail abroad, more than half are behind bars in Latin America. Jason Puracal was imprisoned in November 2010, and his family says the US hasn't done enough in his case.

Drug policy and Cuba headline Summit of the Americas (+video)

The Sixth Summit of the Americas saw what Mexico's Calderón called a 'radical' change: candid conversation about differences over drug policy and Cuba.

In Nicaragua, teachers make only half as much as market vendors

Nicaragua's Sandinista government vowed a 'battle for sixth grade' to combat one of the world's highest dropout rates. But their goals are not reflected in the budget.

Land disputes trigger old racial tensions on Nicaragua's Mosquito Coast

An indigenous community took 12 non-indigenous people hostage, claiming they won't release these 'colonists' until their land is returned to them.

No credit, no problem: Nicaragua's Ortega pitches 'socialist' bank

Ortega says the Bank of ALBA will give loans to members without conditions to pay for development or social projects.

The next 'revolution' for Nicaragua: energy independence

Oil dependent Nicaragua is battling high energy costs and trying to build a sustainable economy by focusing on wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal.

What's Ahmadinejad getting out of his Latin America tour?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Latin America trip, a whirlwind four-nation tour that began in Venezuela on Jan. 8, is now taking him to the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. The trip is his fifth visit to the region since 2007 and has prompted alarm in some corners of the United States that Iran is using the region as a staging ground to attack US interests.

However, many who study Iran’s relationship with Latin America, in particular Venezuela, say fear of an Iranian threat in the Americas is overblown, at least at this point. Here are four reasons why:  

Ahmadinejad, Chavez taunt US from Caracas

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez poked fun at the US for its worry about the possibility of Iranian nuclear weapons. 

Iran is not the only 'pariah' looking to Latin America

Taiwan courts continued recognition as an independent country from select Latin American nations, while Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tries to bolster ties to regional allies.

US foes unite: Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega cozies up to Iran's Ahmadinejad

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran will be the guest of honor at the inauguration of Nicaragua's newly-reelected president, Daniel Ortega.

2011 Reflections: the end of a landmark year for Latin America

Seven Monitor correspondents reflect on the world's hot spots. In this installment, Sara Miller Llana says Latin America has economically boomed this year as the US and Europe struggle.

Back to the future in Latin America? Sandinistas, generals, and Manuel Noriega

Back in Panama to serve more prison time, ex-dictator Manuel Noriega might be surprised how little the regional neighborhood has changed, writes guest blogger Mike Allison.

Discrepancies in Nicaragua election results highlight importance of election observers

The blocking of observers at Nicaragua election sites and a strange pattern of results at the unobserved sites raises serious questions about the victories of Daniel Ortega and his party. 

How the IMF and World Bank could save Cuba's economy – defying the US embargo

A new Brookings Institution report from Richard Feinberg offers a plan for the international community to aid Cuba's economic reforms, even in the face of US opposition.

How a grandmother and aspiring nun became Nicaragua's top cop

National Police Chief Aminta Granera, who once trained to be a Catholic nun, is Nicaragua's most popular public figure, thanks in part to her department's success in fighting organized crime.

Peru election highlights decline of Latin America's hard-core left

The rebranding of left-leaning populist Ollanta Humala ahead of today's Peru election shows the wide spectrum of leftism in today's Latin America and how the most radical fold has started to wane.

Leftists across Latin America gather for Sao Paulo Forum congress in Nicaragua

The leftists that comprise this group are, in many cases, more divergent than the right-left divide in their own countries, but from the rhetoric you would never know it.

Venezuela's Chávez bankrolled Nicaragua with $1.6 billion since 2007

Nicaragua's Central Bank released a long-awaited report Wednesday that reveals the government's growing dependency on the oil largesse of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

Eyeing Middle East, Nicaragua's Ortega quashes weekend protests

The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega organized a massive demonstration to dwarf an anti-Ortega march that was impeded by heavily armed riot police on Saturday.

Nicaragua opposition unites to contest legality of President Ortega's candidacy

The four Nicaraguan opposition parties on November's ballot will present legal challenges to President Daniel Ortega’s candidacy for a third term in office.

Watch out Chávez, Fidel Castro now has 100,000 Twitter followers

Tweet-happy Hugo Chávez now has competition. But not even Twitter has been able to persuade Cuba's Fidel Castro of the importance of brevity.

Nicaragua, Costa Rica both see victory in Hague's ruling on border standoff

The International Court of Justice today ordered Costa Rica and Nicaragua to withdraw all troops, police, and security personnel from a contested border region.

US to Nicaragua's opposition: We can dance, but you lead

If Nicaragua’s sluggish opposition is waiting for Uncle Sam to swoop in like Superman to rescue Lady Democracy from the grips of mustachioed villain Daniel Ortega, they’re in for a long wait.