San José (AFP) – The president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, reappeared on Monday in the capital of the Central American country looking weak after more than two months of absence from public events, which fueled rumors about a deterioration in his health.
First modification: 10/11/2026 - 12:43
Ortega, who will turn 81 on Wednesday, attended with his wife and co-president, Rosario Murillo, the mausoleum of Carlos Fonseca, founder of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), to participate in a nighttime tribute for the 50th anniversary of his death in the old Plaza de la Revolución in Managua.
Followed by dozens of young people waving Nicaraguan and red-and-black FSLN flags, Ortega walked in the square with difficulty and barely spoke a few sentences during an appearance of about twenty minutes, according to the official television broadcast.
"Carlos, here are the young people, those who will never forget you, those who will never betray you, those who will always be loyal to you, until death," Ortega said in a slow voice and avoiding his usual long speeches in which he usually reviews Central American history and criticizes the United States.
His physical appearance contrasted with that of his last public appearance when he led an event for the anniversary of the Nicaraguan Army, on September 2.
The reappearance ended a 68-day absence, Ortega's longest period since returning to power in 2007, which had fueled speculation about his health.
Ortega, who also governed in the 1980s, suffers from lupus and kidney problems.
The president's health status is treated with absolute secrecy: the government does not release medical reports or offer explanations for his prolonged absences.
Nicaraguan exiles warn that a recent constitutional reform that will exclude opponents from the elections seeks to guarantee the succession of power in the presidential family.
The former Sandinista guerrilla and his wife, 75, exercise power with an iron fist, especially after the 2018 demonstrations whose repression left more than 300 dead, according to the UN.
The anti-government protests, considered by Managua as an attempted coup d'état sponsored by Washington, caused a political crisis that has led to the imprisonment, exile and stripping of nationality of hundreds of opponents.
At the beginning of November, ten countries of the Organization of American States, including Brazil and the United States, formed a group that will try to open a diplomatic channel of dialogue with Nicaragua, a country isolated in the region due to its authoritarian drift.
© 2026 AFP
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