Nicaraguan elections are coming up in November, with President Ortega the front-runner to secure a third term. And despite the fact that he has announced the OAS will not be invited to monitor the elections, there will be little need for Ortega to stoop to outright fraud to steal the election.
That’s because he’s spent the last 10 years slowly bringing all aspects of government under his control, including once-independent branches such as the judiciary and the Electoral Council (CSE). More recently, both of these supposedly non-partisan branches have issued rulings that have brought the already-enfeebled opposition in Congress under the control of an Ortega ally.
While Nicaragua may hold a free election, Ortega has ensured it won’t be democratic. All that remains to be seen is just how long they take to announce the winner.
Cartoon credit: Rayma Suprani, CagleCartoons.com
