MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — A lawmaker demanded Wednesday that Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega resign from Congress over accusations by his stepdaughter that he sexually molested her.
“If he doesn’t resign, it would be an admission of guilt, because he would be hiding behind the shield of immunity” he enjoys as a congressman, said Eliseo Nunez, leader of the Liberal Party’s congressional delegation.
Zoilamerica Narvaez Murillo, 30, accused her stepfather on Tuesday of molesting her beginning when she was 11 and continuing for several years — including while he was president of Nicaragua.
She said later it was “a typical case of domestic violence,” but that she had forgiven him and didn’t plan to file charges.
Her mother, Rosario Murillo, declared the accusations false at a news conference with her husband Tuesday. Ortega said the accusations caused him pain, but he did not specifically deny them.
The accusations have caused a scandal in Nicaragua, especially because Ortega is seen as the “cleanest” of the Sandinista leaders.