No End In Sight For Nicaragua's Crisis

Nicaragua had been hailed by many as an example of economic growth and relative stability in recent years. And yes, it performed relatively better than its Central American counterparts over the past decade, but headline numbers can obscure underlying trends. In a political system marked by the concentration of power and the absolute lack of democratic accountability, something had to give. Since April, it broke out to become one of the worst points of turmoil in the Americas. 

Worse Than Venezuela

The country has been in crisis since April this year. As the government moved to consolidate power, after having secured a fraudulent election barring international observers, protesters took to the streets. Since then, paramilitary groups with links to the government of Daniel Ortega have responded violently, and the death toll has risen to over 300 deaths. For comparison, this is a number larger than the amount of protesters killed in Venezuela in all of 2017.

In this podcast, AS/COA's Elizabeth Gonzalez speaks to political analyst Javier Arguello about the long-dated historical and political processes that resulted in the crisis.

Daniel Ortega, a former revolutionary, has consolidated his and his family's hold on power over the past four decades, taking over all government branches, limiting the opposition, and effectively co-governing with the private sector elites and the Catholic Church.

Which Way Out?

The conversation also delves into the United States' response to the crisis, the possibilities of a dialogue with the opposition — currently brokered by Church leaders — and the possibility of a transformation in the country's politics. Suffice to say, there is little room for optimism in the case of Nicaragua. 

Arguello coincides with other analysts who believe dialogue efforts are unlikely to bear fruit. Perhaps his former allies in the private sector should be less timid and take bold action against the dictator they used to cozy up to — Javier Gutierrez explains why.