In Plaza de la Fe, under an overwhelming deployment of security forces, the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo held an event that, far from being the civic celebration it was billed as, reaffirmed the official narrative marked by historical revisionism, denial of responsibility, and systematic attacks on the opposition, the Catholic Church, and the international community.
The event was presented as a tribute to Commander Tomás Borge on the 13th anniversary of his death.
As usual, the event began late. The plaza was filled with soldiers from the Nicaraguan Army, uniformed police officers, paramilitaries, firefighters, and hundreds of state workers who were summoned under mandatory orders.
A peace preached but not practiced
Rosario Murillo opened the central ceremony speaking of “peace,” but did so in the hostile tone that has characterized her rhetoric in recent years—laden with veiled warnings and implicit threats.
The word “unity” was repeated often, but only on the regime’s terms, with multiple references to the claim that protests in Nicaragua “will not happen again.”
From the loudspeakers, chants and slogans were also heard targeting exiles, the Unted States, and opposition figures, in an atmosphere that blended personality cult with confrontational propaganda.
“Let the enemies of the people not be mistaken. We are here, with eyes on Christ, guarding our treasure, our rights, and our future,” said Murillo.
Ortega radicalizes his rhetoric
Daniel Ortega’s speech, as on previous occasions, was a mix of victimhood, historical revisionism, and outright attacks.
He once again blamed the United States for the social uprising of April 18th, 2018, which he described—yet again—as an “attempted coup,” this time claiming it began with the Indio Maíz fire on April 12th of that year and a supposed international conspiracy supported through social media.
He accused the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of being complicit, but introduced a new claim: that “several” bishops disagreed with the decisions made by the episcopate in 2018. However, he did not name anyone.
Ortega also repeated the government’s version of events, portraying the police as victims rather than perpetrators, claiming that the roadblocks were centers of torture, and accusing Catholic priests of “manipulating” people and “encouraging killings.”
It is a narrative aimed at justifying the brutal state repression that left hundreds dead and forced thousands into exile.
Geopolitics and deported Nicaraguans
On this occasion, Ortega devoted much of his speech to international politics. He openly praised Russia and China, justified Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an act of self-defense against NATO, and labeled the governments of Israel, the United States, and the European Union as “Nazis.”
He made unfounded accusations of crimes against humanity by the United States, claiming it was mistreating migrants.
In a brief moment of candor, the dictator admitted that the regime is receiving flights of Nicaraguans deported from the United States.
“Today, Nicaraguan brothers who had been imprisoned in Guantánamo arrived,” he declared.
Military and police presence
Although the event was ostensibly held to commemorate the death of Tomás Borge, most of the time was used to reaffirm the regime’s absolute control, reinforce the official narrative, and send intimidating messages to those who still dare to question it. Borge was barely mentioned in either of the two speeches.
The presence on stage of high-ranking military and police officials once again underscored the fusion of civil and military power in Nicaragua.
Among those in attendance were: Army General Julio César Avilés Castillo, Commander-in-Chief of the Nicaraguan Army; Major General Bayardo Ramón Rodríguez Ruiz, Chief of the General Staff; Inspector General Major General Marvin Elías Corrales Rodríguez; and the President of the National Assembly, Gustavo Porras, along with other institutional representatives.
