Nicaragua: The President's Options Are Running Out

On July 29, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said he was open to the idea of holding a referendum to let Nicaraguans decide if they want an early presidential election. This statement came two days after the president's brother, Humberto Ortega, criticized the government's violent crackdown on anti-government protests that began in April, saying his brother's administration was primarily responsible for Nicaragua's current political crisis. Then on July 30, the United States also took a stance against the crackdowns by security forces, announcing that it would pursue a strategy of steadily escalating sanctions against Nicaragua's government for its repression of the protests....