Enrique Saenz

En la lucha contra el somocismo se repetía profusamente la frase “después de Somoza cualquier cosa”. Esa frase encerraba la creencia, o la ilusión, de que lo peor era el somocismo.

Ortega announced the cancellation of the negotiating table. He closed it, for now. When he feels the need, to dig it up again, it will be with the same purpose: Distract, confuse and gain time.

Throughout the peak period, Venezuelan oil cooperation played a key role. It was its strongest lever. It can be stated correctly that Ortega never could have built his regime without the considerable resources provided [by Hugo Chavez] from Venezuela.

One of the issues generating the widest range of conflicting opinions among Nicaraguans on all levels is the holding of early elections while Ortega remains in power.

The representative of the regime, without the least embarrassment, told delegates from countries of all continents, among other outrageous things, the following: “We have never repressed any protest or any peaceful demonstration.”

Recent events seem to indicate that we are entering into a new stage. The stalemate was broken, the political initiative is resumed and Ortega’s strategy begins to show fissures. It is time to focus on interpreting the moment, make the right decisions and, above all, to hold the rudder firmly.

In his most recent speech, Daniel Ortega ranted against his interlocutors of the Civic Alliance, at the so-called “negotiating table.” He called them “human miseries.” A clear indicative of his eagerness for “peace and reconciliation.”

To retain his grip on state power, Ortega is deploying a strategy on multiple fronts. The negotiation table is just one of the arenas where Ortega plays and certainly not the only one. Therefore, if we hope to achieve freedom then we need to confront Ortega on all fronts.