EXPLAINER: What comes next after Nicaragua’s election

By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN
Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega holds a commanding lead in preliminary results from Sunday’s election against a field of little known challengers. Ortega’smost potent would-be rivals remain jailed. A victory would give Ortega his fourth consecutive five-year term as president. His government has grown increasingly heavy-handed since massive protests began in April 2018. Ortega has said the events of 2018 were a foreign-backed coup plot. Three dozen opposition leaders arrested since June have essentially been charged with treason and accused of working to overthrow the government. Few expect Ortega to ease up in his coming term.