He's almost never alone in those ads: Accompanying Ortega is the smiling visage of his first lady, spokeswoman and now running mate, Rosario Murillo. Murillo is beloved by many poor Nicaraguans and Sandinista faithful, consistently polling around 70 percent approval. "The Ortegas really seem to be intent on increasing the family's control over much of Nicaraguan political, social and economic life ..." he added. "Our aspiration is for all women in Nicaragua to play a full role," Murillo said in August after being named to the ticket. "And mafia-style, he picks his wife to give her the kind of institutional power that she already had de-facto."

Source: New Zealand Herald November 02, 2016 04:52 UTC