Óscar Arias recalls Fidel Castro's warning to Daniel Ortega: 'Revolutionaries do not hold elections'

Former Costa Rican President Óscar Arias has recalled a stark warning from Fidel Castro, stating that "revolutionaries do not hold elections." Arias suggests this sentiment reflects Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's current approach to governance, which he views as a rejection of democratic processes.

Arias believes Ortega's present actions, particularly the closure of electoral pathways, confirm a political ideology that the Sandinista leader espoused during the peace negotiations of the 1980s. This perspective implies a long-standing distrust of electoral systems by Ortega, potentially influenced by his relationship with the Cuban revolutionary leader.

The former president's remarks highlight a perceived pattern of anti-democratic tendencies in Ortega's political career. Arias contends that these tendencies were evident even during the complex peace talks of the 1980s, suggesting that Castro's influence played a role in shaping Ortega's views on elections and political participation.