They arrest another presidential candidate in Nicaragua

The US calls for the immediate release of Cristiana Chamorro 0:49

(CNN Spanish) -

The candidate for the Presidency of Nicaragua for the Citizen Alliance, Arturo Cruz Sequeira, was arrested this Saturday in Managua for an investigation into alleged acts that threaten national sovereignty, reported the National Police and the Public Ministry.

According to a statement from the Public Ministry, the academic and former diplomat will be presented before a judge in the coming days.

«Today, Saturday, June 5, the citizen Arturo José Cruz Sequeira was detained by the National Police, who is being investigated by the National Police for having sources indicating that he has attacked Nicaraguan society and the rights of the people, of in accordance with Law 1055 'Law for the defense of the rights of the people to Independence, sovereignty and self-determination for peace', for which, within the terms of the law, it will be presented before the competent judicial authority ", informed the Ministry Public.

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The National Police reported that they detained Cruz Sequeira, who is being investigated in accordance with article 1 of Law 1055, “for carrying out acts that undermine sovereignty, independence and self-determination, that incite foreign interference in internal affairs, request military interventions that are organized with financing from foreign powers to carry out acts of terrorism or destabilization, that manage or propose economic, commercial or financial blockades against the country and its institutions, those that demand, exalt and applaud the imposition of sanctions against the State of Nicaragua and its citizens and those who harm the supreme interests of the nation.

The statements do not clearly detail what acts Cruz Sequeira committed.

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CNN is trying to contact the Ministry of the Interior and the Communication and Citizenship Council, coordinated by the vice president, Rosario Murillo.

In the Twitter account of Cruz Sequeira, managed by his press team, they reported that the candidate had planned to return to Nicaragua this Saturday from the United States.

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«The plane landed at 9:00 am at the Augusto C. Sandino International Airport.

For two and a half hours he has been held incommunicado and nothing is known about his whereabouts, "they indicated.

Indira González, from the Cruz Sequeira press team, told CNN this Saturday that the Directorate of Migration and Foreigners did not respond to their queries and that until Saturday afternoon they did not know if Cruz was still at the airport or if he had been transferred. to a police instance.

According to Gonzalez, Cruz traveled to Washington, United States, on May 28 for academic and professional commitments and returned to the country this Saturday.

The Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy reported this Saturday on the matter through its Twitter account.

«Presidential candidate Arturo Cruz has been detained at the Managua airport for 3 hours after returning from the United States today.

From the Citizens for Freedom Alliance we demand that their physical integrity be respected, "added the opposition faction.

The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh) rejected and condemned what it called "the arbitrary detention" of Cruz Sequeira.

US Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar criticized the arrest on her Twitter account.

«An incredible atrocity is being committed, as I write this tweet with the illegal detention of presidential candidate Arturo Cruz.

The regime of (President Daniel) Ortega violated the rights of (the presidential candidate) Cristiana Chamorro and is persecuting the opposition candidates, "said the congresswoman.

Second presidential candidate arrested

The presidential candidate Cristiana Chamorro Barrios has been under house arrest and has been isolated since Wednesday, according to her relatives, at her residence in southern Managua, as a precautionary measure ordered this week by a Managua judge, after the Prosecutor's Office presented a accusation against him for the alleged crimes of abusive management, ideological falsehood in competition with money laundering, property and assets to the detriment of the State of Nicaragua, when he was in charge of the closed Violeta Barrios Foundation.

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Chamorro, who is also a journalist, has expressed that he is innocent of the alleged acts and that the accusations are maneuvers to inhibit his presidential candidacy for the next November elections.

Walter Gomez and Marcos Fletes, former accountant and former administrator of the Foundation, have been detained at the Directorate of Judicial Aid for a week.

Through a statement issued this Friday, the United States Department of State requested the immediate release of Cristiana Chamorro and the reversal of the legal actions against her, considering that her detention is due to "false charges" and that "it is a abuse of their rights and represents an assault on democratic values, as well as a clear attempt to thwart free and fair elections.

The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner and the Office of Foreign Relations of the European Union have rejected Chamorro's arrest and restraint and are analyzing future actions.