Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega reappeared in public after a 10-day absence that had sparked rumors he was sick or even dead.
He did so at Managua airport as he received Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, arriving from the Vatican after a visit with Pope Francis.
"You have carried out the miracle of resurrecting me because a lot of people thought I was dead," said a smiling Ortega, who is 68.
Rumors had been flying in this Central American country because of Ortega's 10-day absence from official ceremonies.
These were accentuated last Thursday when Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa cancelled a planned visit to Managua.
The Quito government said this was because of scheduling problems cited by the Nicaraguan government.
Reports has said Ortega had health problems and received treatment in Cuba.
The government had ignored the reports. This fueled speculation in news outlets and on social media.
The chatter even reached other countries such as the United States and Costa Rica, home to many Nicaraguans.
Ortega is a former leftist guerrilla commander now serving his second term after staging a political comeback after a pause of well over a decade, and he now has strong ties with the Catholic church.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega reappeared in public after a 10-day absence that had sparked rumors he was sick or even dead.
He did so at Managua airport as he received Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, arriving from the Vatican after a visit with Pope Francis.
“You have carried out the miracle of resurrecting me because a lot of people thought I was dead,” said a smiling Ortega, who is 68.
Rumors had been flying in this Central American country because of Ortega’s 10-day absence from official ceremonies.
These were accentuated last Thursday when Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa cancelled a planned visit to Managua.
The Quito government said this was because of scheduling problems cited by the Nicaraguan government.
Reports has said Ortega had health problems and received treatment in Cuba.
The government had ignored the reports. This fueled speculation in news outlets and on social media.
The chatter even reached other countries such as the United States and Costa Rica, home to many Nicaraguans.
Ortega is a former leftist guerrilla commander now serving his second term after staging a political comeback after a pause of well over a decade, and he now has strong ties with the Catholic church.
