In Costa Rica, Nicaraguan elections observed by Ortega exiles

Audio 01:07

Nicaraguan opponents Ana Quirós, Alexa Zamora, and Claudia Tenorio, at a press conference in San José, Costa Rica, October 7, 2021. AFP - EZEQUIEL BECERRA

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

This Sunday, November 7, Nicaraguans are called upon to choose the deputies of the National Assembly and to elect the head of state.

Seven potential opponents of Daniel Ortega are in prison, accused of treason against the motherland.

Others have taken refuge in the neighboring country, Costa Rica.

In San José, RFI was able to meet some opponents.

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With our special correspondent in San José,

In Nicaragua which has taken a strong authoritarian turn in recent years, the President of the Republic Daniel Ortega is seeking a fourth term this Sunday along with his wife, Vice-President Rosario Murillo.

He is accused of having eliminated all credible competition, making his re-election inevitable.

In San José, in neighboring Costa Rica, some of his opponents accept interviews, but others are more discreet, because all are hiding here.

These members of the Nicaraguan opposition change addresses regularly - according to them, their government's surveillance has not stopped at the border.

They can count on the solidarity of a whole network of exiles.

The politicians are not the only ones to have suffered from the repression: RFI was able to meet human rights defenders, journalists, doctors who fled their country, persecuted for having criticized the management of the government or simply informed, or shared an article on social networks.

Over 100,000 Nicaraguans from all walks of life have applied for asylum in Costa Rica.

Susana lives in exile in CostaRica.

For having demanded justice for her son killed by the police in 2018, she says she is persecuted in #Nicaragua.

Even in San José, she is wary: "I always look at people's feet first: the paramilitaries never take off their boots."

@RFI pic.twitter.com/lssizUFVzI

- Marie Normand (@normandmarie) November 6, 2021

The opposition refugee in Costa Rica wants to be combative.

She is organizing a big march this Sunday morning in San José.

Several thousand people are expected to demand the release of political prisoners and the boycott of a poll.

In total, 25 demonstrations are organized around the world to denounce what some qualify as a " 

".

I use the expression "pantomime" instead.

Because it's a circus!

We cannot even speak of electoral fraud: when there is fraud, it means that there are competitors and a rigged vote count.

But in the case of this ballot, we cannot speak of fraud.

It is a boxing match in which the boxer left his opponent locked up outside the gymnasium, where the referee is an employee of the boxer, and where only supporters of the latter were able to enter the gymnasium, as such. so he's the only fighter.

It's a masquerade

For economist and former Nicaraguan MP Enrique Saenz, this election can in no way be qualified as an election

Marie Normand

"Many declarations abroad, but few acts"

Ana Quirós is part of the organizing committee of the march of San José.

" 

 ", observes this feminist activist, concerning the voters left behind.

She recalls that the game is biased.

In fact, 39 opposition activists are in prison, including seven presidential candidates.

As for the others, they are closely watched, especially on this polling day.

They were warned, Ms. Quirós said, that they would be arrested if they attempted any action this Sunday in Nicaragua.

So according to her, the opposition in exile must support them and call for a boycott of the election.

It is very important for people in Nicaragua to know that their silence is compensated by our screams, by our voice.

A cry in the direction of the international community also, called not to recognize the results of the poll.

For the time being, regrets the activist, “ 

”.

► Also listen: An exhibition in Costa Rica pays tribute to political prisoners in Nicaragua

The Nicaraguan National Assembly, which is vested in the president, passed several laws last year and this year.

In fact, the latter make it possible to incarcerate any critical voice.

The elections are therefore taking place this Sunday without opposition, without observers, and piloted by electoral authorities who are linked to the Ortega-Murillo couple.

In San José, we also meet former allies of President Ortega, human rights defenders in exile or doctors who fled after criticizing the management of the Covid-19 crisis.

Several laws passed in 2020 make it possible to arrest almost anyone.

@RFI pic.twitter.com/SlbZkwv3iO

- Marie Normand (@normandmarie) November 5, 2021

► To reread: Before the elections in Nicaragua, critical voices in prison or in exile

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• Nicaragua

• Costa Rica

• Daniel ortega

• Human rights