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Noticeably thinner and paler, dictator and strongman Daniel Ortega, 79, reappeared at an official event after 25 days absent from public view—a stretch during which new rumors about his declining health, and even possible death, resurfaced on social media and in some media outlets.
Ortega, who has clung to power since returning to the presidency in January 2007, delivered 100 buses donated by the China International Development Cooperation Agency. The event honored guerrilla commander Germán Pomares Ordóñez, known as “El Danto,” a leader in the armed struggle against the Somoza dictatorship who died on May 24, 1979, in the La Cruz hills of Jinotega.
Since 2012, Ortega has reduced his public appearances and trips outside the capital, limiting himself to commemorations, anniversaries, and a few ceremonial events, while increasingly extending his absences for periods longer than 50 days. Though a 25-day absence falls within his usual range, this time the rumors flared up again because he skipped the 130th anniversary of the birth of Augusto C. Sandino—the revolutionary who inspired the founding of the Sandinista Front, which Ortega has led as caudillo and general secretary for decades.
The event, held on Avenida Bolívar, was attended by his wife and “co-president” Rosario Murillo, government officials, political operatives, and transport workers from Managua and Ciudad Sandino. Also present were China’s ambassador, Chen Xi, other officials from the Chinese embassy, and Nicaragua’s Deputy Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI), Mauricio Sebastián Aguilar.
In his speech, Ortega gave his usual historical overview, spoke about the “neoliberal” governments, his now-defunct alliance with the private sector, and the “betrayal” of the “trash” bishops during the national dialogue following the 2018 protests—which he once again denounced as criminal acts. He also commented on Russia’s war in Ukraine and praised China’s solidarity.
