{"id":168079,"date":"2025-06-09T00:18:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T06:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/confidencial.digital\/sin-categoria\/colonel-generals-reinforce-bottleneck-at-the-top-of-nicaraguas-military\/"},"modified":"2025-06-12T08:57:03","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T14:57:03","slug":"colonel-generals-reinforce-bottleneck-at-the-top-of-nicaraguas-military","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/confidencial.digital\/en\/policy\/colonel-generals-reinforce-bottleneck-at-the-top-of-nicaraguas-military\/","title":{"rendered":"Colonel Generals Reinforce Bottleneck at the Top of Nicaragua\u2019s Military"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Ortega-Murillo regime and the Nicaraguan Army know it\u2019s a fabrication. Daniel Ortega even admitted it himself: \u201cYou don\u2019t just invent a rank for the sake of inventing one,\u201d he said. The FSLN strongman was referring to the military rank of colonel general, a new title that \u2014 according to experts in civil-military relations \u2014 creates the illusion of change at the top of the military, while keeping intact the \u201cinstitutional bottleneck\u201d that controls the leadership of the Armed Forces. <\/p>\n\n

The rank of colonel general was imposed on the two major generals: Bayardo Ram\u00f3n Rodr\u00edguez Ruiz, Chief of the General Staff, and Marvin El\u00edas Corrales Rodr\u00edguez, Inspector General. The promotion was made official at a ceremony held at the Olof Palme Convention Center on Monday, June 2, 2025, although the new ranks had already been granted<\/a> on<\/a> May 9,<\/a> through a Presidential Decree published in La Gaceta, the Official Gazette. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThis day (June 2) is truly a day of great significance, because you don\u2019t just invent a rank for the sake of inventing one. This is simply about strengthening the Nicaraguan Army\u2014the Army of Sandino, the Army born of the Revolution. That\u2019s what this is about,\u201d Ortega said at the end of his speech, in which he mentioned Rodr\u00edguez and Corrales only once<\/a> and gave no explanation for their promotions.<\/p>\n\n

The Bottleneck in the Army Remains<\/h2>\n\n

According to a researcher specializing in civil-military relations, the recent promotions are merely a \u201csuperficial\u201d move that does not address the root of the problem: the institutional bottleneck in Nicaragua\u2019s military career structure. \u201cThe promotions don\u2019t imply changes in position, which means the promoted officers remain part of the top leadership. Those in lower-ranking positions, even if promoted in rank, have no opportunity to take on greater responsibilities within the military structure,\u201d the expert explained. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThis is an attempt to create a false sense of upward mobility within the military career path, but inside the Army, mid- and senior-level officers know that without advancement in positions\u2014not just in rank\u2014there\u2019s no way to break the bottleneck,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n\n

From the perspective of a national security analyst, the promotions have a \u201cmixed effect\u201d on the military structure. \u201cOn the one hand, they ease the bottleneck slightly by allowing those lower down to rise in rank\u2014but only in terms of titles, not actual roles,\u201d the analyst said, adding that this distinction is crucial to understanding the real limitations of the regime\u2019s move. <\/p>\n\n

The expert described this strategy as \u201ca deterrent against the frustration caused by the lack of upward mobility,\u201d although \u201cit only applies to military ranks.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

In terms of the power structure, \u201cwhen it comes to positions, the bottleneck remains\u2014especially in the General Command, which is made up of only three officers,\u201d the analyst emphasized.<\/p>\n\n

The newly appointed colonel generals Rodr\u00edguez and Corrales, along with Army General Julio C\u00e9sar Avil\u00e9s<\/a>, head of the Armed Forces, form a \u201cbottleneck\u201d within the General Command, remaining entrenched in their positions through extensions ordered by Ortega.<\/p>\n\n

\"plug<\/figure>\n\n

Bayardo Rodr\u00edguez was promoted to brigadier general in 2009. Before that, he served as head of the Military Intelligence and Counterintelligence Directorate, and head of the Directorate of Military Operations and Plans. In April 2025, the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN) identified him as one of 54 high-ranking Nicaraguan officials<\/a> \u201cresponsible for serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity\u201d in the country\u2014just like Avil\u00e9s, as head of the Army. <\/p>\n\n

Marvin Corrales is the most senior of the top military commanders promoted by Ortega, in 2007. He was trained in Intelligence and Counterintelligence, and has served as head of the Personnel and Cadres Directorate and of the Naval Force. In recent years, he has represented the Nicaraguan Army in the regime\u2019s meetings with the governments of Russia and China. <\/p>\n\n

Regime tightens control over Avil\u00e9s’ succession<\/h2>\n\n

A former official from the Ministry of Defense noted that the new rank of colonel general now means \u201ca brigadier general must rise two more steps\u2014first to major general and then to colonel general\u2014before being able to aspire to the position of top commander of the Army.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThis means,\u201d the official continued, \u201cthat the bottleneck for brigadier generals and other high-level posts is even more entrenched, further limiting promotion opportunities for colonels and lieutenant colonels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Since returning to power in 2007, Ortega has promoted 40 military officers to the rank of brigadier general, 24 of whom are still active, according to a review by CONFIDENCIAL<\/a> of the Army\u2019s annual reports, quarterly magazine editions, and press releases.<\/p>\n\n

\"military<\/figure>\n\n

The last promotions from colonel to brigadier general -the third highest rank in the military institution- took place in September 2024<\/a>, during the 45th anniversary of the Nicaraguan Army.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cWith the promotion of the colonel generals, the institutional \u2018bottleneck\u2019 that blocks advancement within the Military Career remains firmly in place, and the succession of General Avil\u00e9s is now predetermined to fall to one of these two major generals,\u201d said the former Defense official.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThey are bloating the top of the military command structure with no rationale other than to foster clientelism within the institution, and this also comes at a cost to the Army\u2019s finances\u2014through increased salaries and pensions for top positions\u2014at the expense of lower-ranking officers,\u201d the source added.<\/p>\n\n

\"military<\/figure>\n\n

The security analyst predicted that there will \u201cundoubtedly\u201d be \u201can increase in retirement pensions\u201d for the new colonel generals, although \u201cnot so much in salary, since they were only promoted in rank, not in position or responsibilities.\u201d However, he considered a salary increase likely, given that \u201cthe Ortega-Murillo regime is clientelist.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Nicaragua Now Has Two \u2018Three-Star\u2019 Generals<\/h2>\n\n

Carlos Barrachina, a political scientist, sociologist, and researcher at Mexico\u2019s Army and Air Force University, offered a technical and academic perspective on the changes within Nicaragua\u2019s military. \u201cAt its core, the creation of the rank of colonel general is about institutionalizing in Nicaragua the classic figure that exists in almost all armies around the world: the three-star general,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n

He explained the structural logic behind the move: \u201cThere always has to be a pyramidal hierarchical scale.\u201d The new configuration fills in the intermediate levels between brigadier generals (one star) and Army General Avil\u00e9s (four stars), creating room for major generals (two stars) and now colonel generals (three stars). <\/p>\n\n

The Ortega-Murillo regime created the military ranks<\/a> of \u201ccolonel general, admiral, and vice admiral\u201d through a reform to the Nicaraguan Constitution, which it passed illegally as a partial amendment in late January 2025.<\/p>\n\n

Nicaragua\u2019s Internal Military Regulations \u2014 which govern life inside the Army \u2014 previously established the general officer ranks as:<\/p>\n\n