DistantNews
Support us
Nicaragua Commemorates Boxing Champion Alexis Argüello Amidst Murder Allegations
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Sports

Nicaragua Commemorates Boxing Champion Alexis Argüello Amidst Murder Allegations

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Nicaragua's government commemorated the 17th anniversary of the death of three-time world boxing champion Alexis Argüello.
  • Officials and supporters honored Argüello, who was also the mayor of Managua when he died.
  • Argüello's daughters dispute the official suicide narrative, claiming he was murdered by sandinista leaders.

Nicaragua's government, through the Nicaraguan Institute of Sports, marked the 17th anniversary of the death of three-time world boxing champion Alexis Argüello. Argüello, who also served as the mayor of Managua, died under circumstances officially ruled a suicide, though one of his daughters alleges he was murdered.

It is an honor, a pride, to be able to participate in this act in commemoration of the transition to immortality of our three-time world champion Alexis Argüello.

— Maurice Ortega MurilloSon of Nicaraguan co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, speaking at the official commemoration.

Government officials, athletes, and members of the Sandinista party gathered to lay floral tributes at a cemetery and at a monument dedicated to Argüello, widely considered Nicaragua's greatest sportsman. Maurice Ortega Murillo, son of Nicaragua's co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, spoke at the event, calling Argüello a national pride and a symbol of bravery and heroism, transcending his boxing career to become a "champion of the people" and "champion of reconciliation."

Alexis is our national pride, a worthy example of that bravery and heroism. Alexis transcended not only as one of the greatest boxers in the sport worldwide but also as a champion of the people, a champion of reconciliation.

— Maurice Ortega MurilloSon of Nicaraguan co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, praising Alexis Argüello at the official commemoration.

However, Argüello's elder children have not participated in the official commemorations, expressing doubts about the suicide explanation and calling for justice. Dora Argüello, one of his daughters residing in the United States, reiterated her accusation that sandinista leaders ordered her father's death 17 years ago. She claims he was planning to resign as mayor due to disagreements with the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) leadership.

The Sandinistas ordered my father murdered 17 years ago and continue to play dumb about clarifying the crime against my father. Who doesn't know that Sandinistas are like that: they kill, send you flowers, and even come to offer condolences?

— Dora ArgüelloDaughter of Alexis Argüello, accusing the Sandinista government of his death.

"The Sandinistas ordered my father murdered 17 years ago and continue to play dumb about clarifying the crime against my father," Dora Argüello stated on social media. She questioned how long it would take for authorities to re-examine autopsy photos and clarify the events. Nicaragua's police investigation concluded that Argüello died by suicide from a gunshot wound to the chest in his Managua residence on July 1, 2009. Known as 'the Gentleman of the Ring' and 'the Explosive Skinny One,' Argüello had a distinguished boxing career, winning 82 fights, 65 by knockout, with 8 losses.

How much longer are we going to wait for them to look again at all the autopsy photographs and deign to clarify what happened?

— Dora ArgüelloDaughter of Alexis Argüello, demanding an investigation into her father's death.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog