President Daniel Ortega put his wife, Rosario Murillo, down as his future vice president on a joint ticket for his re-election in a November 6 vote.
The unusual step cemented Murillo’s political ascent. Currently, the First Lady is a government minister and the main spokesperson for Ortega’s administration. For many in Nicaragua, with her higher public profile, Murillo is seen as wielding the real power in the country over the past decade. Ortega and Murillo officially submitted their candidacy to the country’s electoral tribunal on Tuesday, accompanied by their Sandinista party’s legal adviser. If Ortega, 70, wins a third consecutive term from 2017 to 2022, as many expect given the fragmented opposition, Murillo, 65, would replace current Vice President Moises Omar Halleslevens Acevedo. The opposition fears her promotion sets the scene for a family dynasty in charge of the poor Central American nation. (AFP)