Sixteen years after losing power, Daniel Ortega is back with the unexpected blessing of Nicaraguan voters. Call it a testament to perseverance, or a break delivered by a shift in Latin American politics, but the anti-American figure of years gone by emerged this week as the winner of his nation’s presidential election.
The development is sure to raise the ire of some in the Bush administration who sought to undermine Ortega this first time around and actively opposed his comeback. The Nicaraguan election is an unfortunate boost to Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, who is working to build a Latin American alliance of leaders with anti-American sentiments.
Given the recent leftward tilt of Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, Washington would be wise to make an effort to get along with Ortega. That won’t be an easy task, given the history between the U.S. and Ortega during the Reagan administration. It’s hard to forget the image of Lt. Col. Oliver North standing before Congress in his U.S. Marine Corps uniform, his hand in the air as he swore to tell the truth about his part in the Iran-Contra debacle – the illegal selling of arms to Iran in order to raise cash for forces that sought to depose Ortega.
It was an era in which Cold War mentalities shaped U.S. foreign policy. In 1979, Ortega was among the Sandinista rebels who overthrew dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle, who was supported by Washington. Ortega was elected president in 1984 and took office the following year. His Soviet-backed administration nationalized private holdings and redistributed land.
In 1990, Ortega lost the presidency to a former ally, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro. He’s run in every election since, unsuccessfully until this year when his opponents split the vote against him.
The 60-year-old former Marxist said his politics have changed. He calls himself more of a pragmatist who speaks of peace and God. He has said he will not take the same confrontational approach to governing as he did the first go-around.We’d be pleasantly surprised to see that’s the case.
The State Department has been speaking cautiously, saying the platform of the incoming Nicaraguan government would determine the nature of the relationship.
One thing is certain. Nicaragua is a devastatingly poor country. The U.S. has made a commitment to Nicaragua through the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement, as well as debt relief. We urge the Bush administration to keep those avenues open in an effort to maintain good terms with Nicaragua. This is one case where it won’t help anyone to see history repeat itself.
