Nicaraguan police are monitoring the brother of President Daniel Ortega
Nicaragua’s National Police appear to confirm that retired Gen. Humberto Ortega, brother of President Daniel Ortega, has been under guard since local media reports emerged two days earlier that police had surrounded his home
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Nicaragua’s National Police appeared to confirm Tuesday that retired Gen. Humberto Ortega, brother of President Daniel Ortega, has been under guard since local media reports emerged two days earlier that police had surrounded his home.
The police said in a statement that the Health Ministry had visited 77-year-old Humberto Ortega, who suffers from heart problems, in his home and evaluated his health without ever saying why he was under police guard.
Local media reported that police showed up Sunday, the same day online news outlet Infobae published a lengthy interview with Humberto Ortega, who led Nicaragua’s army during the 1980s. In it, he discussed his at times tense relationship with his brother, which more recently has included more casual conversations.
He also characterized his brother’s current administration as “authoritarian, dictatorial” in explaining that when the leader of such a government dies, it is very difficult for there to be continuity with the immediate group in power.
Daniel Ortega has increased his grip on power since putting down street protests in 2018. Hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans have fled or been forced into exile since.