Elections in Nicaragua, 2001: post–electoral lessons and scenarios

Abstract

On 4 November 2001, general elections were held in Nicaragua with the victory of Enrique Bolaños, the new president, candidate for the government party, and therefore a new defeat for the Sandinistas. ETEA has always maintained special bonds with the Central–American region, and in particular with this country, so taking into account that there has been very little analysis of these elections in our Spanish environment, we have requested collaboration from the person who is surely the most prestigious sociologist and political analyst in Nicaragua. After a description of the general context of the country at the time of the elections, the author goes on to explain the institutional electoral context itself and the basic aspects of the results. He ends by outlining the various possible scenarios and by defending a widespread national agreement as a condition for the possibility of pulling the country out of its chronic state of political polarisation, helplessness and poverty.