The current vice-dictator of Nicaragua, also called “co-dictator”, Rosario Murilloshe will definitely have serious difficulties in controlling power and initiating her long-awaited dynastic succession to her children, after the physical disappearance of her husband and Sandinista leader. Daniel Ortegafor a powerful reason: The military is not willing to subordinate itself to her, much less to one of her sons, who do not recognize merits to lead Sandinismo, maintains the political analyst and opposition leader. Felix Maradiaga.
During an interview with Maradiaga, conducted by the director of Article 66Álvaro Navarro, for the program In Contactfrom this media outlet, the political scientist and former political inmate of the dictatorship, analyzed the real possibilities of a dynastic succession headed by Murillo, after the physical disappearance of Daniel Ortega, and stated that the co-dictator does not have it easy, especially due to the opposition that he could face from a good part of the senior officers of the Nicaraguan Army.
It is the second time that an analyst with knowledge of the behavior of the officers of the armed forces questions the possible subordination of the military institution to Murillo, in the event of replacing Ortega in the top position, which for now they share in the so-called strategy. of co-government that Sandinism has installed since 2017.
Previously, the recently deceased retired army general Humberto Ortega, founding head of the Armed Forces, brother of the dictator and brother-in-law of Murillo, had brought this issue to the fore. The retired military man said in an interview with the media Infobae that after the disappearance of his brother, there would be a power vacuum that no one could fill. He made it clear that his sister-in-law and her children would not be able to control power and therefore, the Army would have to take control and call elections.
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Maradiaga considers that General Ortega’s analysis and forecast were quite accurate since he knows that Rosario Murillo and her children enjoy very low acceptance within the structures of the Sandinista Front.
The analyst explained that already in 2016, two years before the social outbreak, as part of the work of the illegalized Institute for Strategic Study and Public Policies (IEEP), they were carrying out “analysis on the levels of acceptance that Rosario Murillo had” and in that year , in focus groups held at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN), Managua, with young people who identified themselves as supporters of Sandinism, “the levels of rejection of Rosario Murillo were very high. Only approximately 40% said they accepted it. That is, 6 out of 10 Sandinistas did not accept Murillo, already at that time,” says Maradiaga.
Faced with such rejection, the political scientist explains, Murillo has displaced the so-called historical Sandinismo to surround himself with new Sandinistas who have no historical reference beyond the 90s.
Murillo seeks to “cultivate a new generation of people loyal to his figure, particularly those who did not come from historical Sandinismo, that is, militants of the Sandinista Front who had historical references after 90 and that is why Rosario has had a very strong clash with the historical figures of Sandinismo, who have never recognized him, as he effectively does not have, any historical weight within Sandinismo,” explains the analyst.
Perverse Murillo-Ortega pact in the Zoilamérica case
The opposition leader recalled that Murillo remains in power alongside the dictator Ortega as part of a “perverse pact” that emerged as a result of the sexual crime complaint that Zoilaméricadaughter of Murillo, did against her stepfather, the tyrant Ortega. That accusation would have meant the end of the leader if it had not been for the support he received from Murillo.
The analyst points out that by 2016, out of every 10 Sandinistas, six already rejected Rosario Murillo. «That is an important element, those numbers are probably much higher now, but I think there is an element of weight between Rosario and Daniel. “I think that the Zoilamérica case was an important starting point for those perverse political agreements between the two,” he recalled.
And he added that “Rosario (Murillo) played an important role in rescuing Ortega from what in a rule of law would have been a safe prison for his atrocities, for his crimes not only against Zoilamérica but against other Nicaraguans, clearly Ortega owes him a lot. to Rosario.
Army “will not stand up” before Murillo or his children
In this entire context of rejection of the figure of the co-dictator Murillo, Maradiaga considers that the dynastic succession, at least with the acceptance of the armed forces, is difficult.
«I cannot mention the source, but I have direct information from very high-ranking officers, of those disaffections that are captured in one sentence: we would not be willing to stand up (to Rosario Murillo or her children). “That is the phrase of a senior army officer, from a very good source,” said the political scientist who was secretary general of the Ministry of Defense during the government of the now deceased former president Enrique Bolaños (2001-2006).
He also insisted that he is not trying to whitewash the Army, its mistakes, its crimes, even its complicity, particularly of the current military leadership, with the dictatorship.
The former political prisoner assesses that there is a possibility that the uniformed men could react against Murillo once the leader Ortega disappears. He believes that the dictator will not be able to “transfer” his leadership and influence over senior officials to his wife “and he does not want to do so either.”
In that sense, the analyst maintains that if Murillo wants to have any influence or support from the military he will have to pay a “very high” price by feeding the “economic clientelism of the military leadership”, a mercantilist military leadership that has practically sold its loyalties. to the highest bidder.
«So Rosario (Murillo) has in his favor enormous amounts of economic resources that he has stolen from the people of Nicaragua and will have to pay favors to the military if he wants them, in some way, to recognize an eventual succession, but he does not have it. easy,” warns the political scientist.
