This story should be seen as part of the reaction of Ortega to the public denouncement the day before of the Nicaraguan Ambassador to the OAS, Arturo McFields to the Permanent Council of the OAS, and the public resignation of Paul Reichler, the international legal adviser to Ortega. Reichler, known for winning the landmark case of Nicaragua vs US in the Hague in 1986, which allowed Nicaragua to sue the US for damages from the contra war, sent Ortega his resignation letter on March 2, but was only revealed publicly on March 27. Some analysts think the knowledge of Reichler´s letter may have pushed McFields to take the step he did. The regime immediately took measures to ensure the fidelity of the Armed Forces
Daniel Ortega will keep a “cork” on high posts of the Army by retiring mid-level officers
By Artículo 66 on March 25,2022
The Chief of the Nicaraguan Army, General Julio César Avilés, ordered 41 mid level military officers within the institution into retirement, while the high posts of the Army remain in their ranks without regard to their age. Analysts think that this decision “is not normal” and rather is a “cork” within the institutions.
“One of the explanations that this situation can have is that it has to do with the cork which could have been created within the institution when it was decided that the highest officers, from the Chief of the Army through some other officers, would not be the ones who would move into retirement. This had already been forewarned when the Military Code was reformed, that a cork was going to be created that would not allow that groups of other officers would naturally rise in rank”, said the researcher and analyst on security issues, Elvira Cuadra, in an interview with Artículo 66.
In the face of this event she added that “they are sending them into retirement because they no longer have the possibility for promotion within the institutions, but there also could be some type of political factor connected to this.”
This past March 24th Avilés ordered into what he called the “honorable condition of retirement” 13 Colonels, in a second class 11 lieutenant colonels, 2 frigate captains, 13 majors, a captain and Brigadier General Genaro Rosendo Betanco Romero, decorated with the “Order of the Army of Nicaragua” for being the highest ranking officer sent into retirement on this occasion.
“Feel the pride of having always belonged to and represented this institution, with the honor and courage that characterizes the Nicaraguan soldier. We reiterate to you all your contributions in the process of the founding, development and modernization of the Army of Nicaragua, you are the builders of this steadfast and highly unified Army,” said the chief of the military institution.
The activity was held one day after the former ambassador of Nicaragua to the Organization of American States (OAS), Arturo McFields, decided to rebel against the regime, denouncing the human rights violations and the political crisis in the institutions of the country.
Cuadra said that “the case of Arturo McFields has caused an internal earthquake and the measures for oversight, control and pressure on people, above all in some institutions which are sensitive, have increased since then. In general terms the reaction has been one of increasing the levels of vigilance over public institutions,” the analyst said.