Ortega poised for return to power in Nicaragua

The Daily Telegraph ^ | October 31, 2006 | Sophie Arie

[StJacques]

Oops! Typo error in my #39 just posted.

Nicarguans  Nicaraguans

[Mr. Silverback]

If it was legit, he wouldn't have Chavez praising him. Look upthread.

[Dog Gone]

If we had just sent a little help their way, maybe they would be more democratic.

You're badly misinformed. We have sent them help, and they are very democratic. The problem is a holdover of the Sandinista regime which still controls a lot of the local political scene and were able to rewrite the election laws so that Ortega could win with a 35% popular vote with no run-off.

As it is right now, Nicaragua is very pro-American. After signing CAFTA, they have reformed their laws and foreign investment is pouring in.

An Ortega victory could alter the direction of the country, but it's not because we turned our backs on them.

[reagan_fanatic]

"I shouldn't say I hope you win because they will accuse me of sticking my nose into Nicaraguan internal affairs," Chavez quipped to former Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega, who joined him on his weekly television show. "But I hope you win."

Red flag bump.

[redgolum]

Nuts

[prairiebreeze]

Time will tell.

[Thunder90]

Hugo Chavez is at it again...

[Thunder90]

Ortega sounds like Hugo Chavez. Once in power, you can bet he will start acting like Chavez, and will turn to Russia to modernize his army.

[FreedomPoster]

One man, one vote, one time.

Watch out, Nicaraguans!

[chuckles]

I hope you are right. I looked into buying a business a few years back down there. I just never felt comfortable to jump in. It was hardly a year ago I looked into Ecuador. They looked good, but now I hear they are making a hard left.( riots and burning flags). Ecuador was supposedly like America south in the brochures. A currency collapse made it where a person could live pretty well on a small pension down there. Course, I won't move to Kalifornia for the same reasons, riots and anarchy. Thank God for Texas!

I also have trouble moving to an area that won't allow my gun collection.

[Dog Gone]

I was down in Nicaragua earlier this year. It's a beautiful country. The people are very nice and I felt very safe.

That being said, it's still a poor country. It's had bad government for nearly its entire history and it shows.

My guess is that Ortega will win this election but not by enough to win outright. And then he'll get trounced in the runoff.

I think much brighter days are ahead for Nicaragua.

[chuckles]

I'm hoping Bolivia and Venezuela is it for the commies.Those people deserve better after the decades of abuse they've had. Bush says that some people believe some races can't be democratic. Just as I wonder if a warlord can comprehend a fair election, I wonder if the Hispanic countries can stop vacillating from left to right. Most have never known anything but graft and corruption, so they believe we are lying when we say how things ought to be. Mexico could be on it's way to complete collapse. The race was so tight, each side thinks they have been cheated. Total anarchy is on it's way. I hope the fence becomes a priority soon.

[Dog Gone]

Mexico is kind of a unique case. It's a large country with very big upper class and a very much bigger lower class with almost no middle class.

The upper class uses the political machinery to preserve their wealth. While Mexico is a democracy, the corruption has been extended to all levels of law enforcement so any kind of real political reform is problematic.

It isn't a matter of race. We've had decades of true democracy in Central and South America, although there have been the recent setbacks you noted. Hell, we're capable of complete lunacy both in North America and Europe with Caucasians in charge.

[chuckles]

Caucasians= Liberals?