Opposition leader Cristiana Chamorro Barrios, who tried to challenge the president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, in the controversial last elections, was found guilty of the crimes of money laundering, goods and assets, improper appropriation and retention, abusive management and ideological falsehood.
On Friday, Chamorro, a 68-year-old journalist by profession and who has been under house arrest since June 2, 2021, was found guilty by Judge Luden Martín Quiroz, of the 9th Criminal District Court of Managua, reported his defense to journalists, who rejected the ruling.
The prosecution requested 13 years in prison for Chamorro
, who is the daughter of the murdered Nicaraguan hero Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal and former president Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (1990-1997).
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Chamorro was the opposition figure
most likely to win the November 7 presidential elections
, in which Ortega was re-elected for his fifth term, fourth in a row, and second along with his wife, Rosario Murillo, as vice president, with his main contenders in prison.
The trial of the opponent, which began on Thursday of last week, is part of a series of judicial proceedings against more than 40 opposition leaders and critics of the Sandinista government, who were imprisoned prior to those elections and were accused mostly of “treason against the country” or money laundering.
The prosecution accused Chamorro in her capacity as president of the NGO Fundación Violeta Barrios de Chamorro based on a complaint from the Ministry of the Interior.
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According to the authorities, this NGO, dedicated to the protection and promotion of freedom of the press and of expression, "seriously failed to comply with its obligations before the Regulatory Entity, and from the analysis of the Financial Statements, period 2015-2019, clear indications were obtained of money laundering".
Along with the journalist, the general accountant and the financial administrator of the Foundation, Marcos Fletes and Walter Gómez, respectively, as well as Chamorro's personal driver, Pedro Vásquez, were found guilty of crimes similar to those of Chamorro.
Also Cristiana's older brother, the opposition Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Barrios, 70 years old.
Both are members of the Board of Directors of the Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa, which on March 2 celebrated its 96th anniversary.
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The Prosecutor's Office requested 13 years in prison for Fletes and Gómez;
and seven years for Vásquez and Pedro Joaquín.
The court ruling was made known this Friday night after seven days of hearings, the last three marathons.
For the investigation of this case, the Prosecutor's Office called thirty journalists to testify as witnesses, including the writer, novelist and former vice president of Nicaragua, Sergio Ramírez Mercado, in his capacity as legal representative of the NGO Luisa Mercado Foundation, which had a relationship with the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation, and had to go into exile to avoid being arrested.
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The seven opponents
Cristiana Chamorro is the seventh opponent who aspired to be a candidate for the presidency of Nicaragua in the last elections to be found guilty of money laundering or treason.
The other six are the academic Arturo Cruz, who was ambassador to the United States of the Ortega government between (2007-2009), from whom he distanced himself;
the activist, academic and leader of the Blue and White National Unity, Félix Maradiaga;
and the economist and nephew-in-law of former President Barrios de Chamorro, Juan Sebastián Chamorro.
[Hugo Torres, former guerrilla and one of the imprisoned opponents in Nicaragua, dies at the age of 73]
Also the journalist Miguel Mora, founder, owner and former director of the television channel 100% Noticias, closed by the authorities and now broadcast on the internet platform;
peasant leader Medardo Mairena;
and the lawyer and conservative politician Noel Vidaurre.
Ortega has branded the imprisoned and judged opponents as “traitors to the country”, “criminals” and “sons of bitches of the Yankee imperialists”.
With information from EFE and
La Prensa