Some ten opposition organizations in Nicaragua issued a statement this Thursday in which they call on citizens to stay at home on Sunday that the municipal elections will be held, where the authorities of 153 municipalities in the country will be elected.
“For the more than 340 assassinated by the dictatorship; for the more than 200 political prisoners who suffer in prisons; for our priests, laity and missionaries who are in prison or in exile; and, for the more than 400,000 Nicaraguans who have been forced to leave our homeland… Stay home!” the organizations said in a joint statement.
Among the organizations, the Civic Alliance stands out, which participated in the first national dialogue that took place in Nicaragua in 2018, in the midst of the protests against President Daniel Ortega.
In the letter, the organizations urge Nicaraguans who are “displaced around the world” to take to the streets to demand the release of political prisoners and to demand “truly authentic, fair and transparent municipal elections.”
The Supreme Electoral Council (CSE), which called the municipal elections for this Sunday, November 6, has assured that the elections will be held “freely and transparently.”
However, independent organizations such as Urnas Abiertas, made up of Nicaraguan experts, emphasize that this electoral process, like that of the 2021 presidential elections, is full of irregularities, such as the lack of truly opposition candidates, as well as political campaigns and rallies.
Nicaragua has been experiencing a political crisis since 2018, when protests arose against President Ortega, who returned to power in 2007.
The Sandinista president said that the demonstrations were an attempted coup against his government, despite the fact that he repressed the protests with violence, leaving more than 300 deadaccording to human rights organizations.
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