Oliver North, back in Nicaragua, takes on Ortega again

Revived leftwing election prospects prompt US cold war warrior's 'private visit'

Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent
Wednesday October 25, 2006
The Guardian

Almost a pensioner now, he was in town for a brief visit to catch up with old buddies and maybe see some sights, just like any other tourist from the US. Over breakfast at his hotel his hosts filled him in on their news, which was not especially good, and afterwards he strolled through the war monument at Plaza de la Paz, soaking up sunshine and history.

More than once he said he was a private citizen on a private visit. But when your name is Oliver North and you are in Nicaragua on the eve of an election, there might, not for the first time, be a credibility problem.

The cold war warrior and former White House aide returned to the country with which he is indelibly linked last Sunday to do what he does best: champion a "fight for freedom" and warn of a leftwing menace to the US.

"It's good to be back," said Mr North, 62, crinklier and greyer than his 1980s heyday but still a fit former marine lieutenant-colonel. A round of media interviews and political statements ended the pretence that it was a private visit.

To supporters it was indeed good to welcome a hero who risked his career to funnel dollars to Contra rebels during their war against the Sandinista government, a covert part of Ronald Reagan's cold war strategy which morphed into the Iran-Contra scandal. To critics, it was like witnessing a criminal return to the scene of the crime: a conflict which cost 30,000 Nicaraguan lives, destroyed the economy and left the country polarised.

"You wouldn't think that someone who had been forgotten by history 20 years ago would show up at this point," said Jaime Morales, a former Contra spokesman who now says he was used by Washington.

Like one of the volcanoes which circle Managua, Mr North has erupted back on to the scene out of fear that the small central American nation will once again slide into the enemy camp.

Daniel Ortega, the Sandinista leader, has a strong chance of returning to power in next month's presidential election. Opinion polls give him around 33% support which, in a splintered field of candidates, could be enough to win in the first round on November 5.

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