Désirée Reder

Why the Release of Political Prisoners in Nicaragua does not mean the Dictator is Softening his Tone

Blog Article | 2023


  • Abstract

    Dictators are known for their desire to stay in power. That is no different in the case of Nicaragua’s president Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo. Ortega regained the presidency in 2007, 17 years after losing elections against the opposition. Today he is in his fourth consecutive term and despite of liberating the country from a dictatorship during the 1970s, he has now turned to a dictator himself. After the release of 222 political prisoners in Nicaragua, Désirée Reder (German Institute for Global and Area Studies – GIGA) contextualises this event in the context of the regime’s repressive path since 2018.

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    LSE blog of the London School of Economics and Political Science

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