The Ortega-Murillo regime’s vast “army of advisors” continues to be restructured. Nicaragua’s vice-dictator, Rosario Murillo, read a press release in which she indicated that “the presidential advisors, with the rank of ministers, have been ratified,” including among them 16 loyalists of Ortega and one who will serve her, that is, the vice-presidency.
The ratified Orteguistas were Bayardo Arce Chestnut, always as “advisor for economic and financial affairs”; Leonardo Ovidio Reyes Ramirez, President of the Central Bank and “advisor on issues of Banking and Finance and Productive Sectors”; the general commissioner Horacio Sebastian Rocha Lopez as “Security Affairs Advisor”.
Samuel Santos Lopez, former foreign minister, remains as advisor for Policies and International Affairs; Salvador Vanegas Guido, retains his position as advisor for All Modalities of Education; Manuel Ali Rivas Vallecilloas a Security Advisor; and Steadman Bassoon Müller as an advisor for Policies towards Indigenous Peoples.
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They also ordered to ratify Jose Francisco “Chico” Lopez as an advisor for Production and Trade; Mohamed Mohamed Farrara Lashtar as an advisor for Africa, the Middle East and Arab countries; Ivan Acosta Montalvanformer Minister of Finance and Public Credit as advisor to International Organizations; Wilmor Efrain Lopez Martinez newly appointed advisor for Traditional and Popular Culture.
Former ministers are kept Sonia Castro Gonzalez and Carolina Asuncion Davila Murillo as advisors on health issues; already Valdrack Ludwing Jaentschke Whitaker, Ivan Lara Palacios and Orlando Jose Tardencilla as advisors on issues of Policies and International Affairs.
Vice-dictator Rosario Murillo announced a “new restructuring of the way of working” for the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that remain in the country. According to Murillo, NGOs must now, by law, work in alliance with State institutions.
This “restructuring” or “Partnership Alliances”, as it is called by the Government, has as its main function to link the projects developed by NGOs to different entities of the public sector controlled by the presidential couple under the excuse of a new operating model.
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“Each NGO, in compliance with all its legal obligations, will submit to the Public Entities, through the Ministry of the Interior or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the case may be, specific proposals for programs and alliance projects, around particular themes, according to its definition or vocation,” the government said in an official statement.
The announcement of the plan for “reorganization, redesign and validation of the functioning of state institutions and programs” made by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, which is nothing more than layoffs in the State, has generated stress and panic in the ministries.
“The broom” threatens both those loyal to the regime and those who have kept a “low profile” by not sharing its actions. “There is panic and anxiety among workers and it is at all levels of the state apparatus,” says an Ortega supporter who, despite his political creed, is not very optimistic. “We are all screwed, traitors and comrades of the good ones, no one is safe,” he admits.
Next week, government spokesperson Rosario Murillo is expected to comment on the progress of the restructuring plan in her regime’s usual media appearances.
