TODAY NICARAGUA – Nicaragua’s attorney general’s office on Tuesday accused prominent journalist and editor of the Confidencial, Carlos Chamorro, of money laundering.
Carlos, who is also the brother of Cristiana Chamorro and Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, is a critic of President Daniel Ortega’s administration and has gone into hiding in neighboring Costa Rica.
All three stand accused of money laundering.
Cristiana, who is Daniel Ortega’s main political opponent, has been under house arrest since June and Pedro has been in detention for two months.
According to the attorney general’s office, Carlos Chamorro “was charged with the crimes of money, property and asset laundering, misappropriation and retention, and abusive management.”
From exile in Costa Rica, Carlos Chamorro spoke of his brother’s detention in a tweet: “My brother Pedro J. Chamorro B. has been kidnapped for 60 days. His only “crime” was to place himself in the line of CxL presidential pre-candidates.”
Mi hermano Pedro J. Chamorro B. cumple 60 días secuestrado. Su único “delito” fue colocarse en la línea de precandidatos presidenciales de CxL, cuando ya había 5 presos, y demandar elecciones libres. Hoy lo acusaron falsamente. Exijamos su libertad y la de 150 presos políticos. https://t.co/9uv32NgpuQ
— Carlos F Chamorro (@cefeche) August 24, 2021
The crackdown on the opposition
Ortega has been president of Nicaragua since 2007. His wife, Rosario Murillo, is completing her first term as vice-president. Both are looking to secure another term in office when the country votes in general elections in November.
This would be Ortega’s fourth presidency and Murillo’s second vice-presidency.
The pair have come under fierce criticism following the arrests of dozens of leading political figures and organizations.
Police, aligned with the Ortega-Murillo regime, have also arrested the general manager of a newspaper run by the Chamorro family.
On August 14, the La Prensa, Nicaragua’s last standing print newspaper, was raided and now continues under the control of the government and Juan Holman Chamorro was taken into custody.
The latest detention was that of Ortega’s political opponent and lawyer Roger Reyes, who was arrested on Friday, as the number of detentions continues to rise.
Reyes is the 34th opposition figure to be arrested since May 28.
Opposition leaders and activists detained are being investigated for alleged actions against national sovereignty or alleged money laundering, claims that they, their relatives and lawyers have broadly rejected, but disqualifies them from taking part in the elections on November 7.
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