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New charges against Nicaraguan opposition leader Cristiana Chamorro

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3 years ago

August 25, 2021

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Nicaragua’s Public Ministry on Tuesday said that a new charge was brought against opposition leader Cristiana Chamorro, who has been under house arrest since the beginning of June.

The opposition leader was accused of money laundering, among other things.

The presentation of new charges against the politician, two of her brothers and seven of her collaborators came amid a massive crackdown on the opposition in recent months.

The opposition accused the authoritarian government of President Daniel Ortega, who had ruled since early 2007, of trying to eliminate possible rivals before a presidential election in November.

Cristiana Chamorro, 67, is now also accused of “appropriation and improper retention” of resources or assets, as part of an investigation of the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation.

The statement also said that charges of money laundering, misappropriation of funds and abusive management were formalised against her brother and prominent journalist Carlos Chamorro.

Chamorro was the founder of the news portal El Confidential, who fled to Costa Rica in June.

Two more charges were also brought against another son of former President Violeta Barrios (1990 to 1997), Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, who has been in detention for two months.

Ortega was the leader of revolutionary forces that fought Dictator Anastasio Somoza in the 1970s.

Critics accused him of establishing a dictatorship himself, along with his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo.

In 2014, Ortega’s party used its significant parliamentary majority to pass a constitutional reform allowing the president to stay in office indefinitely.