Nicaragua business leaders have high hopes for talks

Private-sector leaders in Nicaragua expressed optimism at the opening of talks between the government of Daniel Ortega and the opposition Civic Alliance in efforts to resolve the political crisis that has crippled the nation and its economy.

However, a former commander of the Sandinista revolution, Luis Carrión Cruz, said that he suspects that Ortega is aiming only to "neutralize" the isolation of his regime and aiming to avoid international sanctions.

In an open letter to the alliance, Carrión Cruz said that, while Ortega has accepted negotiations "that does not mean that he will pursue the dialogue in good faith  in the quest for a genuine solution to the crisis."