Five Ortega critics jailed as political crisis in Nicaragua deepens

14/6/2021 12:09

        Nicaraguan police arrested and jailed five prominent opponents of President Daniel Ortega over the weekend, including one-time rebel allies who denounced the detentions as an assault on democracy.
        
        The arrests beginning late on Saturday marked a deepening political crisis in the Central American nation, ahead of an election in November in which the leftist Ortega, 75, is seeking to extend his 14 years as president.
        
        Over the past few weeks, a dozen opposition figures have been arrested on orders from Ortega's security apparatus, including four declared presidential rivals.
        
        Ortega loyalists argue they are only enforcing the law, which prohibits would-be candidates from receiving foreign financing or the publication of information the government determines to be false.