Daniel Ortega ruled out this Tuesday, July 19, in the Plaza de la Revolución, any dialogue with the United States Government, which has imposed a series of international sanctions against more than 40 high-ranking officials of the regime, including his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, for his involvement in repression, corruption and serious human rights violations.
In an act broadcast on the national radio and television network, with a choreography by the Sandinista Youth and in the absence of international political leaders, Ortega compared his regime to General Augusto Sandino, assassinated by the National Guard with the conspiracy of the United States in 1934 and said that the talks with the US are to “put the noose around their necks”.
“What dialogue can there be with the devil? As Che says: ‘the Yankees, imperialism cannot be believed even a little bit because they finish you off’. We would like to have good relations with the United States, but it is impossible and here there has never been any aggression against the United States,” the president argued.
In a 40-minute speech dedicated to the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, nicknamed “Uncle Ralp” by Murillo, he reiterated that “dialogues are to put a rope around one’s neck, that oneself put the rope around his neck.”
In addition to Gonsalves, the only international guests who attended the event were the ALBA representatives: Manuel Marrero, Prime Minister of Cuba; Carlos Farías, Foreign Minister of Venezuela; and Gerardo Torres, Vice Foreign Minister of Honduras; and the representatives of China, Ambassador Chen Xi; and Putin’s delegate and Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Riabkov.
Despite its rejection of dialogue with the United States, at the beginning of this year the Ortega regime sought a rapprochement with the Administration of Jose Biden. The New York Times revealed that, last March, the presidential couple’s son, Laureano Ortega, “discreetly approached Washington to resume dialogue.”
As a result of this effort, it was possible to agree on a meeting in Managua between the Ortega government and a high-ranking State Department official, but “the meeting did not take place after the Ortegas apparently repented,” the newspaper says.
The United States Government continues to impose sanctions against officials who respond to the interests of the Ortega regime. Last Friday, July 15, 2022, 23 judges and prosecutors who have accused and sentenced political prisoners were sanctioned.
“Uncle Ralph” advocates dialogue with the US.
The act of celebration of the 43rd anniversary of the Revolution, was dedicated by Ortega to Prime Minister Gonsalves, who received the order “Augusto Sandino in his maximum degree, Battle of San Jacinto”. He gave a speech of thanks that lasted 30 minutes, in which he took the opportunity to advocate for dialogue between the US and Nicaragua. “I call on the United States of America, a country of great achievements, to approach in friendship with the people and Government of Nicaragua. Is that so difficult?” said Gonsalves, who has five consecutive terms – 20 years in power – as prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The San Vicente president lamented the exclusion of Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela from the Summit of the Americas, held in Los Angeles, USA, for not respecting democracy and pointing to human rights violations.
“What is it that we have been seeing, the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, the United States, unilaterally and mistakenly, took the right to exclude Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua from that summit. (So) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for reasons of principle refused to attend,” said the prime minister.
Ortega, who spoke after Gonsalves, at 8:47 p.m., devoted his entire speech to giving him a personal class on the history of Nicaragua. The Sandinista leader took the microphone, addressed his guest and began with his traditional anti-imperialist speech, ignoring the others present and the audience that watched him on television.
Ortega was accompanied by the Army and Police headquarters, the president of the National Assembly, Gustavo Porras, the president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Alba Luz Ramos; the president of the Supreme Electoral Council, Brenda Rocha and the entire government cabinet.
Ortega did not finish his “history class”
The act of celebration held in the Plaza la Revolución, which was attended by guests and elected members of the Sandinista Youth who applauded and shouted slogans in favor of the regime, was scheduled for 4:30 in the afternoon, according to Telcor in a statement. national chain. However, it started around six at night with a testimonial music concert that lasted until 7:10.
The first to give the opening words was the vice president and first lady, Rosario Murillo, who spoke for 40 minutes, shouted slogans, accused the United States of wanting to subdue them. “We want to live without subjugation because we are not slaves. We won here 43 years ago and before, because the heroism and sacrifices of our heroes and martyrs left us the duty to fight,” she said.
After Murillo’s speech, 20 more minutes of music and folk dances continued. Until at 8:20 at night, Ortega handed the recognition to Gonsalves and without saying a word, gave him the microphone.
The Nicaraguan president finally gave his words at 8:47 pm and ended abruptly 40 minutes later, without finishing his history class, since he did not refer to the triumph of the revolution against Somoza, 43 years ago, nor to the imposition of his new family dictatorship.
Ortega did not say anything about the national crisis and the police state imposed for four years, the massive migration of Nicaraguans, the torture conditions of political prisoners, the persecution of the Catholic Church, and the massive cancellation of more than 1,000 organizations of civil society.
