Nicaragua: Ortega Orders Greater Snitching on Neighbors
to capture and prosecute the “terrorists” and “conspirators”
The dictator threatened the “traitors,” showered praise on China and Russia, and reiterated that the United Nations must be eliminated.
By Ivan Olivares (Confidencial)
HAVANA TIMES – In an 81-minute speech overflowing with praise for Russia and China and repeatedly calling for the dissolution of the United Nations, Daniel Ortega, speaking in a tired voice, urged his followers to spy on their neighbors “so there’s no room left for the terrorists, the conspirators, the traitors, because they will know that as soon as they’re discovered, they’ll be captured and prosecuted.”
The occasion was the 46th anniversary celebration of the Nicaraguan people’s victory over the Somoza dictatorship. The setting was Plaza La Fe, on the shores of Lake Xolotlan in Managua, before an audience of approximately 34,000, including police, military personnel, members of the Sandinista Youth, and public sector employees. This time, no representatives of the other nominal branches of government were present—no ministers, no legislators, no veteran combatants, no police or military chiefs.
Standing alongside the co-presidential couple were international guests: various high-ranking substitutes from China, Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Palestine, Cuba, Venezuela, Algeria, Belarus, Vietnam, Myanmar, Burkina Faso, North Korea, Honduras, Ivory Coast, and Kuwait.
Echoing the mantra repeated by his wife and co-president, Rosario Murillo, Ortega said, “We have peace, and that doesn’t mean the enemy rests. The enemy is always conspiring… trying to cause bloodshed. Trying to bring pain to Nicaraguan families, because they think they can overthrow the revolution, because they count on the support of the imperialists of the world.”
“That’s why we always have to stay focused on all our tasks: studying, preparing, working, and other activities, without neglecting revolutionary vigilance in neighborhoods and workplaces,” thereby reviving the practice of citizen spying and denunciation that was common in the 1980s.
The speech was filled with Ortega’s usual talking points, while avoiding any mention of national problems such as unemployment, the rising cost of living, the suppression of freedoms, public official corruption, or the reintegration of thousands of deportees returning from the United States. Instead, he spoke about General Augusto C. Sandino and Ruben Darío, Andrés Castro and General Jose Dolores Estrada, this time adding the arrow-wielding Matagalpa Indians, China and Russia and Hitler and Napoleon trying to invade Russia. Russia against Ukraine’s “Nazi-fascists.” NATO against Russia. Israel against Palestine. The .. and Israel against Iran, which, according to Ortega, only wants nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Dismantle Nuclear Weapons
Ortega arrived at the plaza at 6:25 p.m., driving one of his flashy Mercedes Benz vehicles, escorted by half a dozen police vehicles and hundreds of officers running alongside. A crowd formed into 227 uniform blocks [North Korean style choreography] awaited him, cheering the moment he stepped out of the luxury car, chanting old slogans from the 1980s.
As they approached the central stage, Ortega and Murillo greeted their guests, who waited for their turn to receive a handshake. At times, Murillo had to discreetly nudge him to move on when he lingered too long with someone.
While commenting on the global geopolitical landscape—including, though not explicitly, the criticisms of his government—Ortega repeatedly questioned the role of the United Nations, asking what the organization actually does. He then recalled when Father Miguel D’Escoto “presided over the United Nations” (in reality, he presided over one session of the General Assembly), during which the now-deceased diplomat proposed a complete overhaul of the institution.
“The powerful are united there [at the UN]. The nuclear powers are united. They join forces and don’t want others to have nuclear capabilities. Ideally, they should all disappear, all nuclear weapons should be dismantled,” said the dictator, expressing confidence that all nuclear-armed countries would support his vision for global disarmament.
Praising the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation, Ortega said both countries “want peace for the world. They promote aid and solidarity. They are noble nations. They are not powerful countries that use their power to oppress, crush, and enslave.”
“Even with the world in such turmoil, powers like China and Russia, which are walking the path of peace,” must be respected by “those powers that are sowing terrorism around the world.” “In the end, peace must come… the United Nations must come to an end, and new united nations must be created to have tools that provide security for all countries,” he demanded.
Celebrating Peace… with Cannon Fire!
Peace—that essential precondition for building anything lasting—was marked in an unusual way this time: 21 cannon shots to celebrate peace!
After more than an hour of a speech from Murillo and old and new testimonial songs, it was time to hear the international greetings, some in Russian and Mandarin, although one had been in English earlier.
Then Ortega began to speak. It was 8:52 p.m., and his first words were, “Here, we are all Daniel. From the youngest to the oldest… we are all Daniel.”
“Don’t even think that in this stage of our history, there will be other Nicaraguans who won’t have the same thinking, commitment, and principles we celebrate today—you young people, me—we’ve inherited that principle and carry it in our hearts and conscience. It’s the principle our General Sandino left in our soul when he told the Yankee: I neither surrender nor sell out… I neither sell out nor surrender,” he corrected himself.
Ortega shared his version of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, tried to analyze the causes of Central America’s independence, and even expressed his youthful admiration for Mao Tse Tung. He explained that he touched on those topics because “by looking to the past, we learn to defend ourselves, as we discover the great errors, the great betrayals committed during those periods.”
Reviewing some of the gravest conflicts troubling humanity, Ortega again questioned the United Nations. “The United Nations is nothing more than an instrument of the imperialist countries, countries that want to dominate the world, even if humanity disappears, because they don’t care—they’re out there bombing everywhere,” he said.
At another point, he asked, “What has the United Nations done to stop the destruction of the Palestinian people? What does the United Nations do when US leaders carry out a ferocious persecution against Latin American migrants—not only capturing them, but imprisoning them?”
He reminded the audience that the United Nations was created after World War II “to be a serious instrument to provide security to all nations, but every passing day brings more criminal acts—many more we could mention—committed by European and U.S. governments. The crimes are there in plain sight,” and yet, he insisted again, the UN does nothing.
At 10:13 p.m., Ortega kept his promise and fell silent. He had spoken for 81 minutes, covering all his favorite topics. His voice—hoarse throughout the night—finally went quiet.
First published in Spanish by Confidencial and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.