By Alejandra Garcia on November 2, 2021
This coming Sunday, November 7, the Nicaraguan people will go to the polls to decide their nation’s political destiny amid hostilities against the government of President Daniel Ortega, who will seek his third reelection on that date.
When typing the term “Nicaragua” in Google, the following headlines from international media, such as BBC, CNN, El País, pop up among the first search results: “Opponents arrested, sanctions, reelection,” “A fractured country goes to the polls,” “Diaspora urges people not to participate in the process”.
The media campaigns against the Ortega government are unprecedented, even amid Nicaragua authorities’ incalculable effort to prove the process’ transparency in Central America’s largest country.
But the media emporiums and the big technology companies make sure that the truth of this nation does not cross its borders and reach those users who want to know how the country is advancing in this democratic transition.
Last Sunday, the 13,459 member of the Voting Boards(JRV) took their posts, and they have been getting ready since then to receive the almost 4.5 million expected voters in the polling stations of the more than 150 municipalities of the country.
A week earlier, the government announced the arrival in the country of the first group of 170 international observers who will watch over the transparency of the elections.
“There is a whole effort that corresponds to the confidence that Nicaraguans have in the government,” the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) Vice President Jairo Amador said.
But the region’s far-right-wing, driven by the media, which professes an excessive hatred against the Nicaraguan government, is dedicated to tarnishing this process before it even starts. They insist on claiming that the elections will be fraudulent. According to them, this will happen just because the CSE decided that the Organization of American States (OAS) could not take part as an observer in the elections.
This is an understandable decision considering the history of the OAS in elections. In recent statements, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Denis Moncada reaffirmed his country’s political position and recalled examples of electoral observations with results that he described as regrettable in Latin American countries.
“We will not invite an organization whose only role is to create a situation of destabilization in those nations it considers ‘enemies’. We cannot allow the entrance of someone who has participated in the promotion and execution of a coup d’état against a democratic country, as happened in Bolivia in 2019,” he warned during an official visit to Turkey.
On Sunday, the eyes of the world will be on Nicaragua. This will be the largest concentration of people in the last two years, and the enemy media will be anxious to look for any little crack to exploit.
To safe guard against any destabilizing attempt, the Nicaraguan Army will deploy 15 thousand military troops to support the transportation of electoral material and it will have its air force and navy at the government’s disposal to protect the millions of voters.
The Ministry of Health also urged people to be aware of another threat: the COVID-19, and asked them to comply with every security protocol to avoid contagions in a country that has managed to keep the disease well below the regional rates.
According to national polls released last week by M&R Consultants, the leftist ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) is polling 76.1% in its favor in the northern departments (Esteli, Madriz, and Nueva Segovia).
With just a few days before the elections, the opinion poll report reflects that the ruling party has gained 12.9% in voting preference compared to May, while the opposition has decreased by 3.9 %.
This news is not coming to light in the monopoly of the international press, which have become enemies of the countries that have found an alternative path to the hegemony imposed, especially, by Washington.
“This proves that those who oppose the Western-U.S. model -which implies inequality, corruption, privatization of public services, benefits for a few, violence, hatred against, disrespect for basic human rights-, are not being well seen by the people. This applies to the media corporations and those who prescribe the agenda, tones, and ways of approaching them,” the Nicaraguan writer and diplomat Carlos Midence stated.
The Nicaraguan Revolution and Sandinismo in general are stronger than ever, and the people recognize it, hence its solid cohesion around its leaders. This country is an alternative nation that feels, lives, breathes, and enjoys undeniable achievements. Sunday will be the proof of it.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano – English