by Zach Bigalke

Created on: January 10, 2007   Last Updated: June 21, 2007

Ortega's Chrysalis Offeres Odd Example for America
by Zach Bigalke
09 January 2007

Daniel Ortega, the man who spurred the Reagan administration to commit their now-infamous secret arms sales to the anti-American Islamic fundamentalist state of Iran in order to fund an insurgency against him, is set to return to power in Nicaragua. Following a spirited election that saw hundreds of observers from the Organization of American States, the European Union, and the Carter Center converged on the Central American nation in November to monitor what ended up being a laudable, free election. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter traveled to Managua himself to help oversee and ensure the democratic process. The fate of the country was placed squarely in the hands of approximately 3.5 million Nicaraguans; thirty-eight percent issued - through their votes - a clear mandate for the former president to make his comeback come full circle.

Ortega's leadership of the Marxist government in the nation during the 1980s still sits uneasy with the United States. Openly opposed during the election by the Bush administration with much the same haughty undertones that led the current president's father to refer to Ortega as "an unwanted animal at a garden party" during a 1989 Central American summit conference, the United States now harbors lukewarm sentiments to his new moderate veneer. The Organization of American States, intent on preventing another American-puppet ruler in the region, went so far as to condemn U.S. attempts to meddle in the electoral process with their open support of staunch Ortega dissidents Eduardo Montealegre and Edmundo Jarqun. Backing off their stance once the polls closed and the votes were tallied, the U.S. government is sitting back to see which way Ortega goes. Following the results of the vote, Bush made the magnanimous motion of calling Ortega to congratulate him and, through White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe, has publicly "expressed his strong commitment to the well-being of the Nicaraguan people and our continued interest in a relationship with Nicaragua."

Privately, Bush must be rankled by the appearance other, bigger enemies will be making at Ortega's inauguration Wednesday. Venezuela's leftist leader, Hugo Chavez, has already promised Nicaragua an aid package including thirty-two electricity plants, discounted oil supplies, a branch of his state development bank that will offer low-interest loans to the poor, agricultural machinery and help in improving

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