Caught between a history of European colonialism and modern experiments with Marxism, many Latin American states find themselves riddled with political impotency. It’s no secret that the region ranks amongst the most corrupt in the world. But every now and then, a despotic madman does something that stuns even the most cynical of observers.
Holding a virtual monopoly on power for decades now, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has chosen his wife, First Lady Rosario Murillo, as his running mate in the upcoming farce of a national election.
As the chief government spokeswoman, Murillo already holds immense power, operating as a de facto co-leader of Nicaragua alongside her husband. Ortega now just wants to make it official. “Critics accuse the first couple of running Nicaragua – which has elections in November – like a personal fiefdom,” notes the BBC.
The Nicaraguan president is seeking re-election for a third term. He re-assumed control of the presidency in 2007, after holding the office from 1985–1990. This year, he will run for president for the seventh time.
Ortega’s first taste of power came during the Sandinista revolution, when the Cuban-mimicking socialist guerrilla group violently overthrew the Somoza dynasty and seized control of the government in 1979.
Although the Sandinistas lost the presidential office in an electoral vote during the 1990s, the socialist revolutionaries never truly lost control over government policy. For decades, the Sandinistas have imposed wildly ineffective Marxist-inspired social programs that have done little to alleviate the crushing poverty paralyzing the lives of Nicaragua’s poorest citizens.
Nevertheless, the Ortegas, and their Sandinista cohorts, still enjoy significant popular support.
“Hundreds of Sandinista supporters cheered the couple” when they “officially submitted their candidacy papers in the capital Managua, accompanied by the legal adviser of their Sandinista party,” explains the BBC.
In fact, First Lady Murillo is already a household name. Many Nicaraguans know her as an eccentric who routinely appears on television propagating the tenets of bullsh*t New Age spirituality. Dressed in embarrassingly outdated 1960s hippie garments, Murillo also enjoys ranting about the virtues of failed government policies.
Nicaragua will hold its next general election on November 6, 2016. Daniel Ortega has banned international observers from monitoring the election. The nepotistic Ortegas will likely win. Because socialism.