Guwahati News Desk: The European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell, addressed on Monday that the Nicaraguan President, Daniel Ortega, has crushed any prospect of free and fair elections that were to be held in November, by arresting dozens of opposition figures.
Borrell said, “The opposition has been eliminated. Nicaraguans are being deprived of the basic human and civil right to vote in a credible, inclusive and transparent election.”
As per the sources, Nicaragua is scheduled to hold national elections from November 7. Meawhile, Ortega is seeking for a fourth consecutive term.
Last week itself, another sign of the increasing repression floated, when Ortega placed an opposition vice presidential candidate under house arrest. This made Borrell get further irked by last Friday’s decision to strip the last opposition party of its legal status.
Borrell said, “President Ortega and (Vice President and first lady Rosario) Murillo must stop this autocratic spiral.”
Infact, last week, the EU slapped sanctions on Murillo and seven other senior officials accused of serious human rights violations or undermining democracy. The sanctions include asset freezes and bans on travel in Europe.
Also last week, the United States slapped visa restrictions on 50 immediate family members of Nicaraguan officials who were involved in or had benefited from Ortega’s growing repression.
As per the sources, over the past two months, Ortega’s government has arrested nearly three dozen opposition figures, including seven potential challengers for the presidency.
Photo | Associate Press