In Nicaragua, Ortega will be candidate for a 4th term, assures his party

Daniel Ortega, the president of Nicaragua where the arrests of opponents have increased in the run-up to the presidential election on November 7, will seek a fourth consecutive term, a senior official of his party assured Monday (July 19).

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Daniel Ortega, 75, will be the candidate of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN, left), deputy and parliament speaker Gustavo Porras told state television.

For "

", launched Gustavo Porras on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the victory of the Sandinista Revolution in the Central American country.

On July 19, 1979, the victory of the leftist guerrillas of the FSLN led to the departure of dictator Anastasio Somoza.

26 opponents detained or placed under surveillance

The official submission of applications will take place from July 28 to August 2. The Nicaraguan president has not yet spoken publicly. Gustavo Porras' announcement comes as 26 opponents are being held or placed under house arrest, including six potential presidential candidates. Among them is the head of state's most serious opponent, Cristiana Chamorro, 67, daughter of former president Violeta Chamorro (1990-1996) who beat Daniel Ortega at the polls. The Nicaraguan president affirms that the arrested opponents are neither “

” nor “

”, but “

” who seek to overthrow him with financial assistance from the United States.

Read also: EU: Josep Borrell calls for new sanctions against Nicaragua

First at the head of the Governing Junta, resulting from the 1979 Revolution, Mr. Ortega was elected president in 1984. He was elected again in 2007 and then systematically reelected.

The wide net against the opposition sparked an international outcry.

Daniel Ortega is accused of wanting to make sure he has the field open for a fourth term, despite his unpopularity.

In 2018, Nicaragua was shaken by a protest demanding the resignation of the Head of State and his wife, accused by their detractors of having established a "

" marked by corruption and nepotism. A violent crackdown left 328 dead, hundreds of opponents were imprisoned and more than 100,000 Nicaraguans went into exile.