Former Nicaragua president Violeta Chamorro dead at 95
As president, Chamorro managed to bring to an end a civil war that had raged for much of the 1980s as US-backed rebels known as the 'Contras' fought the leftist Sandinista government.
That conflict made Nicaragua one of the big proxy battlegrounds of the Cold War.
Chamorro put her country on the path to democracy in the difficult years following the Sandinista revolution of 1979, which had toppled a US-backed right-wing regime.
In a country known for macho culture, Chamorro had a maternal style and was known for her patience and a desire for reconciliation.
When she won the 1990 election at the head of a broad coalition, she defeated Daniel Ortega, the Sandinista guerrilla leader and icon who is now president again -- and has faced criticism for ruling like a leftist dictator.
© 2025 AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
13 hours ago
- France 24
Ukrainians see 'nothing' good from Trump-Putin meeting
The US and Russian leaders had met in Alaska to discuss Russia's more than three-year invasion of his country. But they made no breakthrough and seen from Kharkiv -- heavily attacked by Russia throughout the war -- the red-carpet meeting looked like a clear win for Putin. "I saw the results I expected. I think this is a great diplomatic victory for Putin," Nebroev, a 38-year-old theatre manager, said. "He has completely legitimised himself." Trump inviting Putin to the US ended the West's shunning of the Russian leader since the 2022 invasion. Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited, described the trip as Putin's "personal victory". Nebroev was not only outraged Ukraine was left out of the meeting, but also considered it a waste of time. "This was a useless meeting," he said, adding: "Issues concerning Ukraine should be resolved with Ukraine, with the participation of Ukrainians, the president." Trump later briefed European leaders and Zelensky, who announced he would meet the US leader in Washington on Monday. The Trump-Putin meeting ended without a deal and Trump took no questions from reporters -- highly unusual for the media-savvy US president. Olya Donik, 36, said she was not surprised by the turn of events as she walked through a sunny park in Kharkiv with Nebroev. "It ended with nothing. Alright, let's continue living our lives here in Ukraine," she said. Hours after the talks, Kyiv said Russia attacked with 85 drones and a ballistic missile at night. "Whether there are talks or not, Kharkiv is being shelled almost every day. Kharkiv definitely doesn't feel any change," said Iryna Derkach, a 50-year-old photographer. She had stopped for the daily minute of silence held across the country to honour the victims of the Russian invasion. She was standing just in front of Derzhprom, a modernist structure considered to be one of the first Soviet skyscrapers, which was damaged by a strike last year. "We believe in victory, we know it will come, but God only knows who exactly will bring it about," she said.
LeMonde
13 hours ago
- LeMonde
Zelensky says he will meet Trump in Washington on Monday
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky will head to Washington on Monday to discuss "ending the killing and the war" with US President Donald Trump, he announced on Saturday, August 16. Zelensky said so after holding a call with Trump, during which the US leader informed him about the "main points" of his talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska. "On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, DC, to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war," Zelensky said. "I am grateful for the invitation." Zelensky said he had a "long and substantive conversation with Trump," which began as a one-on-one talk, before being joined by European leaders. The Washington meeting is set to take place three days after Trump's talks with Putin in Alaska ended with no ceasefire announcement or apparent breakthrough to end Moscow's more than three-year-long invasion. The day after the US-Russia summit, Zelensky called for Kyiv's European allies to be involved at "every stage" of talks. He also reiterated that he would be ready for a trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin, something that Kyiv has been pushing for but which the Kremlin has been resisting. "Ukraine emphasizes that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this," Zelensky said. A European Commission spokesperson said that following his talks with Putin, Trump also spoke with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. European leadeers held a second call afterwards to discuss the next steps in the Ukraine conflict, the spokesperson said.
Euronews
14 hours ago
- Euronews
Trump and Putin's Alaska Summit in photos
Trump's arrival US President Donald Trump arrived in Anchorage, Alaska after boarding Air Force One for a seven hour flight from Washington. Trump arrived at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the chosen venue for the highly anticipated meeting, shortly before his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin's plane landed. The base was once a crucial US military asset tasked with monitoring the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and rarely receives non-military visitors, let alone two sitting presidents. Putin's arrival Putin arrived for his high-stakes meeting with Trump, after having boarded the Russian presidential jet for around nine hours from the capital Moscow. The Russian leader brought several high-ranking officials on his trip, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his top foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov. They're part of an agreed upon entourage with Trump also being joined by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. The handshake Both leaders disembarked their planes at the same time and made their way down the red carpets, which were laid out to intersect in the middle, before a final stretch leading to a small stage branded with 'Alaska 2025'. Trump, who had the shorter walk from his plane, arrived at the meeting point on the red carpet where he awaited Putin. The US president was pictured smiling to the approaching Putin from a distance and even offered him three small bursts of applauses before meeting. Trump greeted Putin warmly – despite his typical tug and pull style handshake – patting his counterpart's shoulders several times before turning to face the cameras for a small photo session. They pair then approached the stage where they posed for several more photos as US media present at the site hurled questions their way. They then both entered Trump's presidential vehicle – codenamed 'The Beast' – where they were pictured sharing a laugh and smile, as they were driven together to the summit venue. Closed-door talks The leaders then entered the venue at the base where they were joined by their delegations. Media personnel were briefly permitted into the room to take photos before the leaders began their discussions. The discussions lasted around two-and-a-half hours, and although no breakthrough was made, Putin and Trump say they agreed to a common ground on which a potential peace path may be established. The pair described their meeting as highly constructive and respectful. Press conference The two presidents then addressed the media in a joint press conference for just under 15 minutes where they offered a summary of their talks. They then agreed that more negotiations are needed in the coming weeks to build on the momentum established in the Alaska Summit, with President Putin suggesting Moscow as the venue for their next meeting. Trump chuckled saying 'oh that's an interesting one, I don't know, I'll get a little heat on that one, but I can see it possibly happening'.
