Every Sunday night, I would call my father, a horse farmer and part-time political pundit in Nicaragua, who would give me his analysis of the week’s events, followed by a simple question: “Have you voted yet?” Then, he would say, “This is probably the most important election of your lifetime.” And it was—at the time.
Now, an even more crucial election for me and my ancestral country is happening in Nicaragua this weekend—and most people in the US aren’t following it. The anxiety I experienced last year has given way to outright dread as my family’s homeland prepares to elect its next president. When it comes to the question of who will win, the outcome is a foregone conclusion.
Nicaragua has regressed into a dictatorship led by President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo. They are set to win a fourth term because they have jailed seven opposition…
