Nicaragua is puzzled over the whereabouts of its president, who has not appeared in public for a month. Meanwhile, the government is taking a headstrong path in the corona crisis.
Is he dead? Seriously ill? Quarantined? Nicaragua puzzles over the President’s whereabouts. The last time Daniel Ortega was shown on a screen on March 12th. He joined a video conference in which the Central American heads of government exchanged views on how to combat the coronavirus. Ortega said little since then he has disappeared.
It is not the first time that the President has dived. The country’s media – that is, the few who do not obey the government – therefore call Ortega the “absent ruler”. There is constant speculation about the health status of the 74-year-old ex-guerrilla, who is said to have been treated several times in Cuba.
The president’s absences do not mean that the government will become careless. In April 2018, she brutally crushed a wave of protests. Over 300 people were killed and dozens of opposition figures are still in detention. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans fled abroad.
The government once again assures that everything is under control. The task falls to Rosario Murillo, she is First Lady, Vice President, and Spokeswoman. Via governmental TV channels Murillo spreads daily monologues. In doing so, she reads from the Bible, recites poems and sends the population “loving hugs” from the President.
Beaches, bars and football stadiums remain open
All of this is not surprising to the population. In addition to repression, the government is used to a lot of esotericism and extravagance. What is unusual about the President’s absence this time is its length and coincidence with the Corona crisis. Many suspect that the battered president has gone into quarantine for self-protection, along with his wife, of whom only the voice can be heard on television.
Andrés Pérez Baltodano also believes this assumption to be plausible. The emeritus political science professor lives in Canada, but he knows the political elite of Nicaragua very well. He says the uncertainty surrounding the state of the president is significant: “This government thrives on secrecy.”
If Daniel Ortega has isolated himself, he is breaking the line of his government. Because Nicaragua is going its own way in the Corona crisis. It is the only country in Central America that does not follow the WHO recommendations. While El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Honduras have closed schools and borders, the Nicaraguan government has declared such measures to be harmful. And so, in addition to the borders, beaches, bars and football stadiums remained open.
On top of that. Three days after the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic in March, Vice-President Murillo held a parade in the capital, Managua. The state-funded move resembled a carnival, it was entitled “Love in times of COVID-19”. Tens of thousands of government supporters took part, many of whom were government employees.
Political scientist Perez Baltodano believes that the government’s demonstrative nonchalance may be due to concerns that the economic situation may deteriorate further. Nicaragua fell into a deep recession after the protests were put down in 2018, partly due to international sanctions.
However, Perez Baltodano cannot finally explain the behavior of the government. Why she also held parades was beyond him. “What is certain is that she plays Russian roulette. Only that she puts the gun on the head of the population instead of her own. ”
A civil movement is doing social distancing
According to official figures, Nicaragua has seven infections and one death so far. How realistic these numbers are is difficult to assess due to the government’s mysterious nature. It is also unclear how many tests the authorities carry out. Independent and international media are excluded from the press conferences of the Ministry of Health.
In response to the government’s inaction, a civic movement has emerged to stop the virus from spreading. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans follow measures such as social distancing on their initiative or wear protective masks. Many restaurants and streets are empty. The campaign is supported by business associations, private schools and universities, various churches and the independent press.
The movement received additional inspiration from the absence of the president. The saying is circulating on social networks: “Do it like Ortega, stay at home.”
