RICO’s Q — Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua’s longtime president, has not been seen in public, styain in El Carmen, his private residence that doubles as a presidential house, for 50 days, sparking speculation and concern both inside the country and abroad,
Ortega, who has dominated Nicaraguan politics for over two decades (having recently marked 19 consecutive years in office, 24 years total) typically maintains a visible presence through frequent public appearances and speeches, making his absence all the more notable.
The official script indicates don’t worry…the country continues to “function”.
The “ghost president” as some calle him, hasn’t taken part in events, tours or in recent photos. Total silence, as if in “airplane mode”.
During his absence there have been no medical reports on his health, no public agenda published, no real official explanations. Translation: “Nothing’s happening here… and if something is, we’re not going to say anything.”
Some are already speculating:
- In recovery? The octogenarian allegedly suffers from chronic, serious ailments including lupus and kidney failure.
- A strategic silence or something more? Given the United States’s increasing pressure on the Ortega-Murillo regime through economic sanctions.
- Or what? Reports suggest that the regime is facing increasing isolation and potential instability, following the political decline of allies like Nicolás Maduro, leaving his co-president wife, Rosario Murillo, in charge
Ortega has not disappeared from the political map in a permanent sense, but he has a well-documented history of prolonged public absences that frequently spark rumors about his health or death.
With each passing day of absence the mystery and the theories grow.