The Sandinista Militant Jaime Arauz Centenowho served as mayor of the municipality of The Tuma-La Dahliain Matagalpa, for more than 20 years, confirmed that he was already replaced in the position, just nine days after receiving the credentials to continue in office until the year 2027.
Furthermore, he revealed that the General Commissioner Sergio Gutiérrez he was removed as departmental chief of the Matagalpa National Police.
The 54-year-old former mayor assured that he suffers from a “congenital, progressive heart problem” that was detected in 2013. In 2015, the doctors ordered him to rest, “that the workload be removed due to stress,” but he did not It was until this 2023 that he resigned from the position.
«I resigned, but I have to ask our top leaders for that resignation: Commander Daniel (Ortega) and compañera Rosario (Murillo) because they are the ones who represent us as a party, they are president and vice president, and I have a position that entrusted it to me (Ortega and Murillo) at that level, I have to ask them for authorization to resign. They just put me: “man, yes it’s fine, we accept it” “, Aráuz declared to the local radio station Stereo Dalia, whose broadcast was shared on the Facebook page of the mayor’s office.
The former official gave the statements on Friday night, January 20, accompanied by his running mate Francis Lucila Torrez Blandon, who has already been sworn in as the new mayor of El Tuma-La Dalia. The government party, FSLN, has not yet defined who would assume the Vice Mayor’s office that Tórrez leaves vacant.
“It is a transition, that the militancy does not feel bad,” said Aráuz, who insisted on giving the new mayor a vote of confidence. Despite the health problem that he expressed, he indicated that he “will visit friends in the communities to support Francis, not to replace, but to complement.”
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Lawyer Yader Morazán revealed on January 19 that Arauz Rye He was secretly dismissed by the Ortega Murillo regime in the same way that the dictatorship has been decapitating various officials of the Judiciary and other councilors in recent months.
According to Morazán, the former mayor of El Tuma was questioned by officials from the Nicaraguan Institute of Municipal Development (inifom), for him general commissioner Ramon Avellan, deputy director general of the National Police, and auditors. The exedil even managed to get several relatives out of the country to the United States.
Faced with the news, Aráuz came out in his defense, pointing out that “if anyone was happy because I left, because they disliked me, then they were wrong because I am not leaving in the misfortune that many say. I leave through the front door without touching a peso from that mayor’s office and without being a traitor (…) That does not mean that we are “gold coins” to be liked by everyone. If they talked about Jesus Christ, why won’t they talk about me being a sinner? They didn’t just talk about Christ, they crucified him.
The head of the Matagalpa Police is removed
Morazán, an expert in the administration of justice, also revealed that the General Commissioner Sergio Gutiérrez He was removed from office and without new assignment for “treating gently” the parishioners of the city of Matagalpa and showing “weakness” when trying to persuade Monsignor Rolando Álvarez—imprisoned bishop—the day he was besieged in the Episcopal Curia of that city.
«In his place they put the general commissioner Luis Barrantes, who was in Masaya. The order to impose a strong hand in the city, “added the jurist.
The information would have also been confirmed by Aráuz himself according to an audio that Morazán shared on his social networks. Part of those statements were removed from the video that the Mayor of El Tuma-La Dalia shared on Facebook.
«Today they just told me: “Oh, they are going to take him to jail for being corrupt!” I want to speak clearly: I just met the second chief of the National Police who is installing the new Police, we were talking and everything, but the visit that the chief of Police is making is routine because sometimes he is changing these days the chief of Matagalpa and logically they are making those visits. The change of the head of the Matagalpa Police coincided with me. We talked, we had a coffee and each one for his place, “said Aráuz.
«I am leaving the mayor’s office, but never from the Front. Some say “they already took him away” And where are they going to take me if I am from this town? There I walk in the streets », she added.
Citizen networks of the observatory open polls confirmed the dismissal of the eternal Sandinista mayor Jaime Arauz Centenowho had been in the position for more than 22 years.
He had been appointed local government coordinator since 1989 when the municipality was created. In the first elections of 1990 he was elected mayor. Since then he had served five terms in different periods, the last two consecutively, the observatory indicates.
In a profile prepared by Urnas Abiertas in 2022, the local population pointed out that his management was not very transparent, where he benefited from influence peddling and conflicts of interest with businesses such as gas stations, construction, and plantations.
In addition, they point out that different employees of the Mayor’s Office also act as front men for the mayor.
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Olga Valledirector of the Urnas Abiertas citizen observatory, manifested to Article 66 that “we must remember that these mayors are the product of illegitimate electionsTherefore, they are usurping the functions because they do not respond to the popular will and they were not elected democratically.
“This dismissal shows that the regime has no intention of respecting the institutional framework and decides how public officials are going to continue, despite the supposed electoral process. It is also a message to other mayors about the power that the Executive has to remove any person who does not align, and the loss of municipal autonomy is confirmed, “said Valle.
He also regretted that “secrecy continues, the lack of transparency and, therefore, citizens do not have concrete and truthful information about what is happening in the different State institutions.”
