Topic: Nicaraguan Politics

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.

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.

Guatemala's Perez lowers expectations for drug legalization

Regional disagreement means a decriminalization plan won't happen soon. But Guatemala's Otto Perez Molina maintains military response isn't the answer to drug trafficking.

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.

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:  

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.

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. 

Can Nicaragua continue to play both sides?

The Sandinistas of the Cold War requested aid from countries across the globe, landing themselves in neither the Soviet nor American camps. Today President Daniel Ortega is in many ways following those same steps. But he soon may be forced to make some choices.

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, 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.

Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega renominated for president, despite term limits

Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega is finishing his second term in office, the maximum allowed under the Constitution. But on Saturday he accepted the Sandinista Party's nomination to run again.

Mystery shrouds shooting death of Ortega enemy 'Comandante Jahob' in Nicaragua

José Gabriel Garmendia, a former contra who last year launched a one-man insurrection against President Daniel Ortega's government, allegedly died in the Nicaraguan mountains Sunday after being shot.

Nicaragua to vote on bills tightening Daniel Ortega's grip on security, media

Nicaragua's legislature votes today on three proposed laws that, critics say, would give President Daniel Ortega sweeping new authority to create a domestic spy network and censor the media.

How WikiLeaks may give Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega an upper hand with US

WikiLeaks revealed that Nicaragua received 'suitcases full of cash' from Venezuela, but also showed the limitations of US intelligence-gathering in Ortega's country.

Why Nicaragua and Costa Rica are in a tense standoff over a remote swamp

Costa Rica and Nicaragua are at loggerheads over control of a remote island on the San Juan River. Google Maps and The Hague have been sucked into the dispute.

7 most controversial UN speeches, from Ahmadinejad to Khrushchev

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, slated to speak to the UN General Assembly today, is not the only world leader to have delivered infamous remarks.

Nicaragua wakes up to Daniel Ortega's new 'Sandinista Constitution'

While Nicaragua was on holiday, the Sandinista government of Daniel Ortega reprinted the Constitution. It now includes a law that was left dead 20 years ago.

Nicaraguans say US turns blind eye to abuses of Daniel Ortega

Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega has been accused of rigging elections, manipulating the Supreme Court, and threatening the press. Unlike during his term in the 1980s, this time Washington has other problems to deal with.