TODAY NICARAGUA – Daniel Ortega is an autocrat who rules Nicaragua with an iron fist. Of course, he is democratically elected by the Nicaraguan people. Nevertheless, he leaves no room for the opposition to make sure that he retains absolute power.
If Ortega were to die, his wife and elected vice-president, Rosario Murillo, would take over, but she does not have the same charisma as her husband, that charm that can inspire devotion in Nicaraguans.
A period of instability could begin in Nicaragua.
We have already seen elsewhere in the world that when an autocrat is overthrown or dies, the aftermath is always extremely unstable.
Nothing is gonna happen. No announcement would be made right away. There is a backup plan already in place, I am sure, for dealing with such a situation.
Behind the scenes, several groups of power-players – the political elite, the military, the state security and the business elite – would duke it out for influence.
Nicaragua is up for presidential elections later this year. So Murillo would be legitimized through elections and the opponents would be handicapped.
But maybe we’re wrong?
Article originally appeared on Today Nicaragua and is republished here with permission.