Nicaragua's ruling party monologues to silent private sector

Nicaraguan authorities summoned business leaders for a "consultation" on reforms, but instead presented them with pre-approved changes ordered by Daniel Ortega for the National Assembly. The event, intended to establish a single-party regime, was met with silence from the private sector, according to sources speaking to CONFIDENCIAL.

Meetings were segmented, gathering traditional businesses, bankers, foreign companies, and agricultural producers separately. While an official press release stated that investors and business members "learned about the Constitutional Reform Initiative as part of the broad national calendar of consultations," the invitations were vague, mentioning only "topics of interest at the Central Bank." Despite the lack of explicit mention of constitutional and electoral reforms, attendance was considered mandatory.

Sources within the private sector described the meetings as a subtle warning. "Obviously, the implicit message was to remember that with that government they have made money, and that whoever dares to say otherwise will stop making money," one source said. Another attendee noted that while the invitation felt straightforward, colleagues expressed anxiety about potential consequences for not attending, citing fear and risk.

The official discourse emphasized maintaining "peace" and preventing "coup plotters" from running in upcoming elections, particularly those receiving external funding. The head of the National Assembly, Gustavo Porras, linked this to a concept of "Pax," referencing Rubén Darío, and suggested that opposing the government's definition of peace equates to disrupting it. This framing suggests that the government views retaining power as synonymous with peace, a concept the article implies is not universally shared.