Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega's Wife: Get to Know Poet Turned Politician Rosario Murillo

Daniel Ortega was sworn in last January for his fourth consecutive term after elections in Nicaragua that were considered rigged. Beside him was his wife, first lady Rosario Murillo, who was also sworn in for her second term as his vice president.

According to NBC News, the Ortega-Murillo tandem oversaw opposition leaders' jailing, including seven possible challengers for the presidency, months before the November election.

The U.S. State Department noted that Nicaragua still holds 170 political prisoners, "with many of those detained suffering from lack of adequate food and proper medical care."

Tiziano Breda, an analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, noted that Ortega and Murillo's goal was to "remove any possible doubt" about their stay in power. Murillo also served as the Nicaraguan government's spokeswoman.

Rosario Murillo of Nicaragua

Rosario Murillo is known for her colorful clothes, signature earrings, and rings on all her fingers. She has been considered the force behind her husband's leadership.

The first lady is also known to be a leftist, a "workaholic," and a poet, according to Financial Times. Murillo often ends her speeches by mentioning "God, Comandante Daniel, and Compañera Rosario."

Murillo and Ortega have nine children, the eldest two being from Murillo's previous marriage and later adopted by Ortega. All of their children have key official and administrative positions in their parents' government, except for their eldest, who is Zoilamerica.

She denounced her stepfather, Ortega, for sexual abuse in 1998. Murillo has sided with her husband, and Zoilamerica has lived in exile in Costa Rica since 2013, as reported by El Pais.

According to Reuters, Ortega married Murillo in 2005 and made her vice president in 2017. Her political stance and personality made the first lady the "most controversial and ubiquitous figure" in the country.

Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo Politics

Agustín Jarquín ran for vice president on Daniel Ortega's ticket in 2001. However, he was pushed out of the National Assembly without notice.

He said when Rosario Murillo aimed for the vice president position, she was the co-president of Nicaragua. Murillo was giving daily news briefings when there was an earthquake or damage from an industrial fire in Nicaragua.

The New York Times reported in 2016 that Murillo was meeting with municipal leaders regularly and made clear that decisions cannot be made without her go signal.

A street vendor, Florencia del Carmen Lopez, said Murillo has more followers than her husband, adding that most of her followers are women. Zoilamerica noted that denying something to her mother "is a declaration of war."

A leading feminist intellectual at the Center for Communication Research, Sofia Montenegro, said other commanders looked at Murillo as "some bothersome person who wanted to get involved."

Murillo has also gained control of the Ministry of Culture. According to former government officials, she fought with top administrators and got people kicked out of their positions when they excluded her from decision-making.

Nicaragua's first lady is also a poet who had attended a British convent school and a Swiss finishing school. She is known to be fluent in English and French.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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