MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuelan gov't offered Sandinista fighters in case of civil war

Lula's “was not a very clean government,” Ortega claimed. “I could say a dozen more things,” he went on.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega offered his Venezuelan colleague Nicolás Maduro the help of his “Sandinista fighters” in case of civil war in the South American country, where the opposition insists on not admitting the National Electoral Council's (CNE) announcement that the incumbent had been reelected on July 28.

In addition, the Supreme Court's Electoral Chamber ratified these results earlier this month at Maduro's request despite the absence of any documentation to support them. Nevertheless, Ortega was critical of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's decision not to recognize Maduro as the winner, at least for now.

“You can count on the Sandinista fighters,” Ortega told Maduro during his virtual appearance at the XI Extraordinary Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (Alba) heads of state. Also participating at the online gathering were Presidents Miguel Díaz-Canel of Cuba and Bolivia's Luis Arce Catacora.

Ortega also foresaw that if an all-out armed conflict erupts, “Colombian mercenaries, Colombian assassins, [and] Colombian drug traffickers” would be involved.

“With the huge border they have with Colombia, they will have to get ready, Nicolás, they will have to get ready to give them battle and defeat them, because I am sure that if there is a battle, they will defeat them,” added the former rebel leader who has remained in office through controversial elections with all his opponents either in exile or in jail.

Ortega insisted that “thousands of Latin American and Caribbean fighters will join in defense of the Bolivarian revolution ... just as thousands of fighters joined the fight against Somoza in Nicaragua” back in the 1970s.

In addition to Lula, the Nicaraguan president also attacked Colombia's Gustavo Petro for not recognizing Maduro's victory. “Poor Petro, I see him competing with Lula to see who will be the leader that will represent the Yankees in Latin America.”

”If you want me to respect you, respect me, Lula. If you want the Bolivarian people to respect you, respect the victory of President Maduro, and don't let yourself be dragged along (by the United States),“ Ortega said in a message aimed at the Workers' Party leader. Ortega also recalled Lula's fudgy past linking him to the Lava Jato corruption scandal. ”It was not a very clean government, remember it well, Lula, because I could say a dozen more things,“ he went on.

Managua expelled Brazil's Ambassador for not attending the celebrations of the Sandinista revolution's 45th anniversary and Brazil responded accordingly.

Ortega insisted the ”servile“ Lula was ”crawling“ before the imperialist United States and denounced that ”servile governments, traitors ... that [once] have presented themselves as very progressive, as very revolutionary, now [suggest] that the elections have to be repeated.“

The Sandinista leader also admitted he had rejected a call from Lula, who wanted to convey a message from Pope Francis regarding the Nicaraguan government's persecution of Catholic organizations. ”We do not need intermediaries, nor did we ask Lula to be an intermediary,“ Ortega argued while dubbing the Vatican an ”instrument of fascism.”

Nicaragua expelled Brazil's Ambassador from Managua after not showing up at the celebrations of the Sandinista Revolution's 45th anniversary and Brasilia reciprocated.