By Ivana Kottasová, CNN
It’s been called “the night of the long knives in the tropics.”
Within less than a week, and just a few months ahead of a crucial election, the Nicaraguan police have detained five high-profile opposition leaders, according to official police statements.
Three leading opposition figures, Félix Maradiaga Blandón, Juan Sebastián Chamorro García and José Adan Aguerri were all arrested on Tuesday, while Arturo Cruz was detained on Saturday. Cristiana Chamorro, another opposition politician, was placed under house arrest on Thursday.
Aguerri is a well-known businessman and former president of the Superior Council for Private Enterprise, a national business federation.