The Nicaraguan prosecutor’s office announced on Friday that eight government officials have been arrested and will face charges of “fraud” and “embezzlement of public funds.” However, opposition groups argue that these arrests are politically motivated, targeting Sandinista members critical of President Daniel Ortega’s administration.
According to the prosecutor’s office, which has faced accusations of acting in alignment with Ortega’s directives, the eight individuals remain in preventive detention pending their trial scheduled to begin on September 11. The charges stem from what authorities describe as “serious crimes committed against the public treasury.”
Contrary to the official narrative, opposition media outlets operating in exile have reported that the detained officials are actually members of the Sandinista Front. These individuals were part of a WhatsApp group named “La Comuna,” where they allegedly criticized decisions made by Ortega’s government.
The group was apprehended on July 26 alongside Carlos Fonseca Terán, the son of Carlos Fonseca Amador—the founder of the Sandinista Front who was assassinated in 1976 during Anastasio Somoza’s dictatorship. “Prosecutors accuse everyone in a WhatsApp group with Carlos Fonseca Terán, except him,” reported La Prensa, a newspaper based in Costa Rica.
Further detailing the situation, Confidencial, another outlet edited in San José, revealed that Fonseca Terán is currently under house arrest. Despite leading the “La Comuna” WhatsApp group, the government has not formally charged him or provided detailed information regarding his detention conditions.
“The friends of Carlos Fonseca Terán are portrayed by the prosecution as a ‘criminal group’ that stole funds from the public treasury,” La Prensa added. However, Confidencial noted that while none of the “La Comuna” members opposed Daniel Ortega’s leadership outright, they did question certain regime decisions.
This crackdown is part of a broader pattern of repression by Ortega’s government, which, along with Vice President Rosario Murillo, has intensified its actions against dissent following the 2018 opposition protests. These protests resulted in over 300 deaths, according to United Nations reports.
In 2023, the government expanded its campaign against critics by accusing them of treason, releasing them from prison, expelling them from the country, and stripping 316 politicians, journalists, intellectuals, and activists of their nationality and assets. Additionally, the administration has targeted the Catholic Church and shut down approximately 5,500 non-governmental organizations, many of which are religious in nature.
The international community has expressed concern over these developments, viewing them as further evidence of Ortega’s authoritarian tendencies and his administration’s disregard for democratic principles and human rights.
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