Nicaragua: And now, totalitarian capitalism

WSJ headline:
Nicaragua’s Leftist Ortega Embraces Business—and Authoritarianism. Daniel Ortega, one of Latin America’s best-known Marxist revolutionaries, is living out a second act as a pro-business, increasingly authoritarian leader,

As the article points out,

Mr. Ortega, now 70, has spent more time in power—21 years over two stints—than the late Mr. Somoza

and he’s keeping the family business, thankyouverymuch,

In August, Mr. Ortega named his wife as his running mate in the coming election. She is already his government’s chief spokesperson and de facto prime minister. One of Mr. Ortega’s sons is in charge of a proposed $40 billion plan by a little-known Chinese businessman to build a transcontinental canal through Nicaragua. Economists and environmentalists say the plan is far-fetched.

Ian Bremmer’s book The End Of The Free Market, describes the model Ortega’s following,

A number of authoritarian governments, drawn to the economic power of capitalism but wary of uncontrolled free markets, have invented something new: state capitalism. In this system, governments use markets to create wealth that can be directed as political officials see fit.