The Nicaraguan opposition announced on Tuesday the formation of a broad "National Coalition" to confront the party of President Daniel Ortega in the general elections of 2021. "We, seven organizations, launched the National Coalition" to rebuild democracy, according to a Founding statement read by Yubrank Suazo, an opposition politician.
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The text was signed by representatives of the seven movements in a building in the center of Managua, in the presence of many opposition activists, despite the heavy police mobilization around. The coalition is notably formed by the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy (ACJD) and the White and Blue National Unity (Unab), two platforms that arose in the wake of the 2018 anti-government demonstrations.
A peasant movement born out of the struggle against a project for an inter-oceanic canal, defended by the government, and the indigenous Yatama party are also part of it, as well as two right-wing parties, the Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC) and the Party for Democratic Restoration. (PRD).
The Nicaraguan Democratic Forces, made up of “Contras” ex-combatants, who had fought against the Sandinista revolution led by Daniel Ortega between 1979 and 1980, also joined the coalition. "The doors remain open" to other parties, said opponent Carlos Tünnermann.
Bloody repression
Nicaragua, led by ex-Sandinista guerilla warrior Daniel Ortega, has been going through a serious political crisis since April 2018. A first protest against a social security reform has turned into a wave of demonstrations demanding the departure of the president, accused of '' have established a corrupt dictatorship, as well as early elections.
The repression was bloody. More than 325 people were killed, nearly 70,000 went into exile, hundreds of opponents were imprisoned. The country is plunged into a deep economic recession.