Former presidential candidate Cristiana Chamorro, daughter of former Nicaraguan president Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, will go to trial this Thursday, according to the lawyers handling the case.
Chamorro, 68, was emerging as one of the favorites to defeat Daniel Ortega in the November 2021 elections, was arrested and has been under house arrest since June 2 of last year.
Two former employees of the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation, the opponent’s personal driver and her brother Pedro Joaquín Chamorro, detained in the cells of the El Chipote prison in Managua, will appear at the trial where they are linked to Cristiana.
Chamorro, and former employees Walter Gómez and Marcos Fletes, are accused of the alleged crime of abusive management, ideological falsehood, appropriation and improper retention and money laundering of goods and assets through the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation, dedicated to strengthening Nicaraguan journalism.
Meanwhile, his personal driver Pedro Vásquez has been charged with the crime of necessary collaborator for money, property and asset laundering.
Chamorro’s brother, Pedro Joaquín, is also accused of abusive management, ideological falsehood, appropriation and improper retention.
More than 60 journalists summoned to the Prosecutor’s Office
During the alleged investigative process against Chamorro, more than 60 journalists were summoned to the Prosecutor’s Office to be questioned. According to some complaints from the reporters, more than a compilation about the work they carried out in conjunction with the Foundation, the interviews of the Prosecutors were intimidations and threats of jail and they were recriminated for “lying” through their journalistic notes.
“We internationally denounce the criminalization of independent journalists in Nicaragua. We call on the Daniel Ortega regime to stop its strategy of involving journalists in political struggles,” the organization of Journalists and Communicators in Nicaragua (PCIN) said at the time.
This organization, which is made up of professionals from the journalistic profession, stated that the independent press does not obey “political or economic powers,” but rather the daily commitment to continue reporting “state corruption and its arbitrary strategies.”
As a result of this case being opened, more than a dozen journalists and media directors went into exile irregularly, since those who tried to do so through the corresponding channels had their passports and documentation withheld.
The sentence can be high
During an interview this Wednesday, the lawyer and former judicial official Yader Morazán pointed out that the sentence against Cristiana Chamorro could be greater than that of the rest of the other political prisoners accused of alleged crimes of “conspiracy to undermine national sovereignty” or spread of fake news.
“It is a fact that the crime of money laundering, because it is part of organized crime, because it is a crime that is more harmful, so to speak, is a crime that has a greater penalty,” Morazán told the digital media Nicaragua Investigates.
The judicial processes against the more than 40 opponents arrested in 2021 began on February 1 amid complaints of human rights violations due to the conditions in which the prisoners were found.
The US has rejected money laundering
Around 31 opponents have been found guilty in recent trials, while the rest are still waiting for the processes indicated as “a mockery of justice”, according to the United States, which reacted to the accusations of money laundering against the Violeta Foundation Barrios de Chamorro, particularly those related to activities financed by the United States Agency for Development (USAID).
“As part of our regular oversight, USAID has conducted audits of our programs with the Violeta B. de Chamorro Foundation and we have found no evidence of money laundering or instances that USAID funds have been diverted by the foundation for other purposes.” a Biden administration official told voice of america.
“We urge the Ortega regime to end its repression and allow Nicaraguans to exercise their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression,” he added.
Ortega began the persecution against Cristiana Chamorro after she announced her intentions to run in the November 2021 elections.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and turn on notifications, or follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
