José Daniel Ortega Saavedra is a Nicaraguan politician serving as President of Nicaragua since 2007; previously he was leader of Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, first as Coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction and then as President. A leader in the Sandinista National Liberation Front, his policies in government have seen the implementation of leftist reforms across Nicaragua. Born into a working-class family, from an early age Ortega opposed ruling President Anastasio Somoza Debayle, widely recognized as a dictator, and became involved in the underground movement against his government. Joining the Sandinistas as a student in 1963, Ortega's urban resistance activities led to his arrest in 1967. After his release in 1974, he also travelled to Cuba to receive training in guerrilla warfare from Fidel Castro's Marxist–Leninist government. He played a crucial role in forming the Insurrectionist faction, which united the FSLN and sparked the mass uprisings of 1978–1979.
| Born: | José Daniel Ortega Saavedra, November 11, 1945, La Libertad, Nicaragua |
| Political party: | FSLN |
| Children: | 15 |
| Vice President: | Jaime Morales Carazo (2007–12), Moisés Omar Halleslevens (2012–17), Rosario Murillo (2017–present) |
| Preceded by: | Enrique Bolaños |
About Daniel Ortega
A leader in the socialist Sandinista National Liberation Front who became the President of Nicaragua for the second time in 2007. He previously served in the position from 1985 to 1990.
Before Fame
He was a part of the Sandinista National Liberation Front and was even arrested for trying to rob a branch of Bank of America.
Achievement
His adopted stepdaughter Zoilamérica Narváez accused him of sexual abuse in 1998.
Family Life
His brother is Nicaraguan military leader Humberto Oretga.
Associations
He is largely seen as a dictator, like Francisco Franco.
Information related to Daniel Ortega
- Nicaraguan revolutionaries
- Sandinista National Liberation Front politicians
- Socialist rulers
- Nicaraguan Roman Catholics
- Nicaraguan male writers
- People of the Nicaraguan Revolution
- Nicaraguan Christian socialists
- Nicaraguan communists
- Nicaraguan prisoners and detainees
- Presidents of Nicaragua
- Catholic socialists
- Recipients of the Order of Friendship
