The last time Daniel Ortega was seen was on March 12 in a virtual meeting he had with the presidents of the member countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA), in which they discussed how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
The absence of the Nicaraguan president generates doubts and uncertainty in the population, at a time when all the governments of the world seek to take measures and face the crisis.
“Ortega’s absence, combined with a policy of secrecy, causes people to be unsure of anything; this increases the anxiety that the public is experiencing in the face of this unprecedented event,” says Eduardo Enríquez, editor in chief of the local newspaper La Press.
“It is in these situations that countries need reliable leadership and here that leadership is absent,” he adds.
Rosario Murillo, the official voice
“And Ortega? Why does he not appear at all? He hides his face, his regime is negligent and irresponsible, endangering the lives of Nicaraguans,” former Sandinista guerrilla Dora María Tellez wrote on Twitter on March 20.
Every day, at noon, Rosario Murillo, Ortega’s vice president and wife, reports on the progress of the coronavirus in the country. It does so through official channels and provides few details.
Rosario Murillo, the vice president and wife of Daniel Ortega (in the photo, together), is the voice of the government in this crisis.
Murillo is the official voice of the government in the Central American country and who, amidst poems and biblical verses, insists on reminding Nicaraguans of Ortega’s existence.
“Our commander Daniel guides us, instructs us, and he himself is in communication and coordination with all our authorities,” he says.
BBC Mundo requested an interview with her or other government sources, but received no response.
According to official reports from the Ministry of Health, five cases of covid-19 were confirmed in Nicaragua, of which one died and another was discharged.
Many have decided to take care of themselves, others do not have that option.
Ortega’s absence and the centralization of the information around the coronavirus raises doubts about whether the figures they provide are real.
Meanwhile, businessmen have asked the government to allow private hospitals and laboratories to test the covid-19.
No preventive measures
The government, despite warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO), has not taken any preventive measures to avoid contagion.
It has not suspended classes in schools or universities, it has not imposed restrictions on the borders, it has not prohibited massive events and it has not declared any type of quarantine.
Instead, it has opted to take measures that have been harshly criticized by the public, such as continuing to carry out massive events.
On March 14, he called a march called “Love in times of the covid-19” to “fight” the pandemic. Officials and supporters of the ruling Sandinista Front attended the demonstration.
The Nicaraguan government challenged international health recommendations to avoid crowds by calling a citizen march.
Despite the fact that one of the WHO’s guidelines is social distancing, Rosario Murillo announced in March that Ministry of Health officials would make house-to-house visits to “report” about the covid-19.
According to Murillo, they have visited more than 700,000 families across the country.
“No health system in the world nor the best have been able to bear the burden of the covid-19. To think that in Nicaragua we have it (controlled) is an illusion and if we do not start planning and how we are going to manage this disaster, there may be a greater chaos, which will bring more damage to the Nicaraguan family, “says epidemiologist Leonel Argüello, from the Multidisciplinary Scientific Committee.
The only evidence for now, says Argüello, is that social distancing and staying home works.
In the case of Nicaragua, a series of additional risk factors are added to the health crisis that developed countries do not have, says the epidemiologist.
“Among them, the absence of safe and permanent water, insufficient and periodic collection of solid waste or garbage, a practice of not washing hands, overcrowding, little health education.”
But in addition, “there is an apparent normality and a false assurance that what is happening in Spain and Italy will not happen to us, in a country where we have not taken all the measures of prevention and preparation for the imminent disaster.”
There is no scientific evidence of what will happen in Nicaragua, says Argüello, however, he states that “different researchers point out that we can have between 300,000 and 600,000 cases and between 10,000 and 48,000 deaths.”
Society takes care of itself
Despite the absence of the president and the lack of preventive measures by the government, Nicaraguans have decided to take care of themselves.
“If they don’t send their grandchildren to classes, why am I going to send my children,” asks Martha, mother of two children. In the absence, the government sends teachers to visit parents to send their children to classes.
Many university students have also rebelled and have chosen not to attend classes.
“We categorize the call made by UNAN-Managua to continue its academic and administrative activities as irresponsible and unconscious,” read a statement issued by students from the country’s largest public university.
“I don’t mind missing the year, but life doesn’t recover,” says one of his students, who prefers to remain anonymous.
Private companies promote telework, however, Nicaragua is a country where, according to official figures, more than two million Nicaraguans live in the informal sector.
Small and medium-sized businesses have opted to temporarily close to avoid contagion and it is not uncommon to see street vendors in the streets of the capital wearing their masks and gloves.
More than two million Nicaraguans live in the informal sector.
Longer absence
The disappearance of its president in troubled times is nothing new for Nicaraguans. However, this has been their longest absence.
“It is not uncommon for Ortega not to appear in a crisis like this. Rosario Murillo’s strategy is to turn him into a kind of deity. He does not go out to give bad news. Ortega only appears to give good news, final instructions, what others do others, “says Eliseo Núñez, a political analyst.
In April 2018, when the socio-political crisis in Nicaragua broke out, Ortega appeared four days after the protests against his government began and when more than 30 murdered protesters were already counted.
In 2017, he was not seen during the emergency caused by storm Nate that left at least 16 dead in the country.
While Ortega is still locked up, Murillo announces project launches, fairs, tourist offers to spend the summer at Easter every noon and Nicaraguans look for ways to protect themselves for what is to come. (I)
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