Since the early hours of this Sunday, the Sandinista militancy was called to pack the polling stations; however, the images of the same government propaganda were clear: rows of no more than ten voters. According to citizen reports from Voces en Libertad, from 13 departments, the queues at the Voting Centers (CV) were mostly made up of Sandinista militants, political operators and state workers.
Citizen reports from Managua, Matagalpa and Madriz show that state workers and Sandinista militants received several indications for these votes. These included going early to vote, taking a selfie and share it on your social networks. Also, “monitor, publish, comment and share the environment of peace and security of the electoral process.”
In addition, one block from each Vote Receiving Board (JRV), the political secretaries and the Sandinista Electoral Victory Units (UVE) improvised “computer centers”, where they took the count of supporters who had not yet voted, in order to go after them with a list in hand.
In Madriz, state workers they were sent by whatsapp warnings that if they did not vote they would be fired. “At the same time they ask them to make a selfie to show that their finger is already stained with the flimsy ink that confirms that they have already cast their vote”, state the citizen reports.
In this department little influx of voters was observed. However, it was noticeable mobilization of citizens through state vehicles and the Mayor’s Office. As it was known, they were collecting militants who had been on lists for three months.
“They sent me to bring in a tricycle to my house to come with my wife and mother-in-law to vote for the candidates of my party (FSLN), because they thought we weren’t going to come anymore, and well, we’re out of that and we’re going to our little house here in the sector (neighborhood) of the Chureca (East part of the city of Somoto). It is unfortunate that this place is empty, before we used to stand in line and now this place seems deserted,” said a 62-year-old citizen who went to the CV of the Madriz Institute.
Local sources revealed that, since Saturday afternoon, in Madriz groups of motorized Sandinistas were observed loading fuel that this Sunday they had “the mission of mobilizing on their motorcycles in each voting center in support of the party in power to guarantee that all the duly registered militancy goes out to vote early.”
Mobilizations in Carazo and Matagalpa
The mobilizations of the motorized were also observed in Carazo. Citizen reports from that department confirmed that motorcycles were prowling around the city. Meanwhile, in the campaign house of the Sandinista Front there were vans and microbuses that would be used for transport Sandinista sympathizers from the municipalities.
“There are almost no mototaxi services because most of these vehicles were hired by the Sandinistas to transport their militants,” the citizens point out.
Despite this mobilization, few citizens attended the CVs. The population continued with its routine activities on Sunday such as going to mass or opening the shops of the municipal market.
In Matagalpa, it was learned that some Sandinista fans met early in the morning at the municipal and departmental party house, arrived on motorcycles or vans, and then headed to the neighborhoods to “encourage” the population to vote. They used the phrase: “comrades, we are waiting for you.” However, the influx in the CVs was scarce.
In Rivas, the presence of paramilitaries circulating on motorcycles on the outskirts of the CVs of the municipalities of Potosí and Buenos Aires. “One of the voting centers, in the municipality of Buenos Aires, called Alfredo Narváez, was also completely empty, only the presence of the police and the State workers themselves,” the sources reported.
CV desolate before indifferent population
In Masaya, little influx of voters was also observed. This Sunday morning, at the CV Heroes and Martyrs of the Reform there were barely ten Sandinista militants lining up to vote. While, in the CV Rafaela Herrera, public employees were observed in the lines, these were monitored by government officials.
In Granada, few voters were also observed. Citizen reports indicate that CVs opened late. In Chinandega there was also little presence of citizens. Local sources explained that in the municipality of El Viejo, opponents were besieged by Sandinista neighbors and by National Police patrols. In the Vílchez and Rodríguez neighborhood, it was the CPC leaders who exercised surveillance.
“In Tonalá, Puerto Morazán, two patrols roamed the streets, although with few residents in the voting center, a greater movement of Sandinistas could be observed. In the rural area of this municipality there is more control and that is how voters were observed at the Lucrecia Lindo Community School,” they said.
In León, the streets of León were observed to be empty and the citizens who did travel were busy with their daily activities. Likewise, the sources indicate that they noticed vigilance on the part of the National Police. “They were dressed in black jackets and took photos of independent journalists.”
The same scene was repeated in Jinotega. In the early hours of the morning there was a calm atmosphere. The streets were silent and there were few people outside. Until ten in the morning, in the CV Luis Alfonso Velásquez, from Santa María de Pantasma in Jinotega, only 34 people had voted, revealed a prosecutor from the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN).
In the CV located in the San Francisco school, in the Santa Teresa community, municipality of San José de Bocay, Jinotega, there were only the officials of the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) and members of the Police, as confirmed by a community leader in the area.
Boaco’s CVs also looked bleak. The one located in the Agustina Miranda de Quezada school, only four people were observed lining up to vote. Likewise, the presence of a police officer outside the Center was noted.
In Estelí, no influx of voters was observed either. Nevertheless, It was observed that the Sandinista militants arrived first thing in the morning.
In the JRV of El Castillo, Río San Juan, queues of voters were observed. However, these did not exceed 30 citizens. “In this municipality there are few JRVs. In some traditional centers there were even fewer tables. The presence of police officers near the voting center was also visible, and the party activists who mobilized the most in the first hours were from the government party,” state the citizen reports.
In Bluefields, South Caribbean, little citizen participation was also observed. Before the CVs opened there were lines, but they were not very long. And in the absence of voters, Sandinista sympathizers began to “carrying people” from more remote areas, local opponents noted.
“Since last night they have been sending us messages to the work groups, telling us to go vote,” denounced a worker from a state institution who lives in Bluefields.
Another worker assured that “they are pressuring us (…) they tell us that it is obligatory.” They also point out that throughout the day they have received messages on their phones reminding them that “thanks to our commander they have work.” Then comes the threat: “remember that we have the list of those who have gone to vote”, they warn them.
**With information from Voices in Freedom**
