NICARAGUA’S Sandinista government has defended the arrest of presidential hopeful Miguel Mora on Monday morning, saying the opposition figure was pushing for “military intervention” in the country.

The arrest of Mr Mora — who has previously called for President Daniel Ortega to be assassinated — has been widely reported in Western media as an example of an attempt to stifle democracy.

But Mr Mora is held responsible for inciting the deaths of hundreds of Sandinista supporters during a violent US-backed attempted coup in 2018, in which armed gangs set up road blocks across the country in a bid to strangle the Nicaraguan economy.

A year later, Nicaraguans were angered after the the Washington-based Committee to Protect Journalists presented a “freedom award” to the director of the 100% Noticias media outlet.

But far from being the plucky opposition journalist struggling against a brutal dictatorship, Mr Mora had led calls for an attack on the Sandinista station Nueva Radio Ya.

In May 2018 its building was set ablaze with 20 journalists locked inside, while opposition supporters shot at police and firefighters, hampering the rescue operation and putting lives in danger. The following month, Mr Mora’s supporters burned the building of Radio Nicaragua in another dangerous attack on journalists.

Jailed for his actions, he was released as part of an amnesty agreement in 2018 as the government sought to restore peace and stability in Nicaragua. 

Mr Mora immediately announced his intention to stand against Mr Ortega in this year’s presidential elections, but had not formally announced his candidacy ahead of his arrest.

Nicaragua is under the spotlight ahead of November’s vote, with the United States’ influence in the region waning after the election of leftist governments in Peru and Bolivia.

The US has failed to dislodge Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and it is widely expected that Workers Party leader Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva will defeat far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in next year’s election.