Nicaragua’s Ortega Denies Molestation Accusations

Former Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has for the first time publicly denied his stepdaughter’s accusations that he sexually molested her.

In a statement presented in response to a criminal complaint filed against him Wednesday by Zoilamerica Narvaez, who is his wife’s 30-year-old daughter, Ortega categorically rejected the accusations.

“I deny, reject, contradict and impugn these accusations because, truthfully, I have never committed them,” Ortega stated. He also stated that, even if he had committed the repeated rapes from 1982 to 1991 mentioned in Narvaez’s complaint, the statute of limitations related to his prosecution has run out.

Ortega had not previously addressed the claims that Narvaez first made three months ago. Narvaez accused him of having sexually molested her since she was 11 years old--during the ecade that he was Nicaragua’s president, from 1979 to 1990. She said the harassment continued after her marriage in 1990 and through February.

“I have been silent all this time because of deep-seated fears and confusions that were the result of complexes,” Narvaez said in her complaint. In contrast to the formal, legal language in Ortega’s response, Narvaez’s complaint was personal, invoking memories of her grandmother and concerns for her two children.

The issue of the alleged abuse has split Ortega’s party, the Sandinista National Liberation Front. Many younger party members and women have sided with Narvaez and her husband, who has backed her claims. Both are active Sandinistas.

Still, Ortega was reelected unopposed a week ago as secretary-general of the leftist party, which began as a guerrilla movement that overthrew Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle.

Ortega supporters had challenged Narvaez to file a claim, allowing police to investigate her accusations. Her supporters challenged Ortega to show good faith by setting aside his congressional immunity, his privilege as a sitting senator.

On Friday, however, the judge refused to accept Narvaez’s complaint because of a legal technicality and, therefore, ruled that Ortega’s response was also inappropriate, a spokesman for Narvaez said.

Times El Salvador Bureau Chief Juanita Darling contributed to this report from Panama City.