Arturo Cruz
Date of birth: August 13, 1953
Arrested on: 03 June 2021
Detained in: “El Chipote” prison Managua
Verdict: pending

Arturo Cruz was born on August 13, 1953 in Managua, Nicaragua, and was the presidential candidate of the Alianza Ciudadana (Civic Alliance) party. On June 3, 2021, Cruz was arrested and taken to the “El Chipote” prison in Managua. The authorities accuse him of an “attack on Nicaraguan society and the rights of the people”. Cruz has a daughter, Isabella.

Arrest

Arturo Cruz was arrested at the “Augusto C. Sandino” airport in Managua as he was returning from a trip to Washington. He was told that he was charged with “conspiracy against the nation”. A police raid was carried out on his home and after a court confirmed the charges against him, he was taken to the “El Chipote” prison in Managua. Cruz did not have access to a lawyer during the entire time.

He is accused of crimes enshrined in Law 1055, enacted in December 2020, also known as the “guillotine law” by critics. The vague wording of the law facilitated the dissolution of various opposition parties and also made it possible to prosecute and condemn democracy supporters, journalists and candidates as “traitors”.
In the first days after his arrest, Cruz was denied contact with his family and his lawyer. They also received no information about his well-being and current situation.

Background

In his youth, Arturo Cruz initially supported the Sandinista revolution of Daniel Ortega against the dictatorship of Somoza Debayle. After the Sandinistas came to power, however, he was disappointed with their policies. As a result, he joined the United Nicaraguan Opposition in 1980. However, he was later selected by Daniel Ortega to serve as Nicaragua’s ambassador to the United States from 2007 to 2009.

Cruz studied at the American University of Washington and John Hopkins University. In 1990 he received his PhD in Modern History from Oxford University.

As of August 2023