Five years after the start of the worst sociopolitical crisis that Nicaragua has suffered in the last 30 years, the opposition in the Central American country also faces a challenge that has been impossible to meet in that period: achieving unity.
This is estimated by various analysts consulted by the voice of americawho They agree that in a possible scenario that includes holding free and transparent elections in the country, a solid platform will be required to unify forces, or to initiate a dialogue that will put an end to the social crisis.
Tiziano Breda, Researcher at the Institute of International Affairs (IAI), based in Rome, indicates that currently the opposition in Nicaragua “is completely in disarray” and has no direction, since it has not been able to establish a precise road map on what strategic objectives notice and how to reach them.
He adds that the opposition is the victim of what he calls “an excessive and unprecedented repression within the country”, due to the imprisonment of the main political figures that in part makes it impossible to organize, however he assures that on the other hand they have taken ” wrong decisions.”
“An excessive and unprecedented repression within the country”
As a result of the social protests in Managua in 2018, Ortega called two national dialogues in which the Nicaraguan opposition and various sectors participated, however these unitary efforts have been dissipating.
In October 2018, a total of 43 social and political organizations in Nicaragua created the Blue and White National Unity (UNAB); Before that, the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy (ACJD) was also formed.
Lack of consensus
The Nicaraguan political analyst, Enrique Sáenz, stresses that the lack of consensus is “a pending and high account of the leaders who are not imprisoned, or of those who intend to exercise leadership.”
For Sáenz, discussions about ideological issues denote “ignorance” in opposition groups, as well as the fight for leadership. “Leadership is won in the fight, not at a table or in a wheel where they say “I am the leader”; you win in front of the people with your performances”, says Sáenz.
“We must join efforts of all those who are committed to democracy.”
In his opinion, at this moment there is no element to say that this or any other organization has to lead the opposition. “Here we must join efforts of all those who are committed to democracy. That if left and right, it seems to me that this is a great ignorance. To be raising this division at this moment and, sometimes, even hatred between the left and the right denotes, on the one hand, having a sick liver and on the other hand, great ignorance ”, he adds.
Breda agrees separately with Sáenz and highlights that there is always an expectation that something is about to happen, that the Ortega government is about to split up and fall from one moment to the next, and this feeling has been fueling these divisions.
“The different political and social forces that make up the opposition in Nicaragua have basically always been left with this expectation that at some point their time would come and they could bet on some kind of position, of electoral competition, and this has led to distrust, even hatred or ideological differences”, sentence.
And he adds that this is even above the first objective under which to unite and be the promotion “of a democratic alternative in the country that is made up of different forces that represent different sectors of society.”
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