RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said in a tweet on Wednesday that the possible disqualification of Nicaragua’s presidential candidate, opposition candidate Cristiana Chamorro, reflects the fear of President Daniel Ortega of “free and fair” elections.
“The arbitrary banning of opposition leader @chamorrocris (Cristiana Chamorro) reflects Ortega’s fear of free and fair elections,” the U.S. foreign minister wrote.
Blinken also considered in his message that Nicaraguans deserve “a real democracy”.
Nicaragua is scheduled to hold elections on November 7, in which Ortega is seeking his third consecutive reelection.
Opponents have warned that these elections could be fraudulent, given the judicial process opened against Chamorro, preventing her from participating in the elections, even though she has the best chances of winning, according to the pollster Cid Gallup.
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On Tuesday, the Nicaraguan Public Prosecutor’s Office charged Chamorro, daughter of former president Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (1990-1997), with alleged abusive management, ideological falsehood, and ideological falsehood in real concurrence with money laundering, property, and assets.
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The Prosecutor’s Office also requested her disqualification from public office and requested precautionary measures of immigration detention to prevent the accused from evading the investigation against her.