Nicaragua police seek arrest of government opponent

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — Nicaraguan police on Wednesday raided home of Cristiana Chamorro, a potential presidential candidate and daughter of former President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, one day after formally filing money laundering charges against journalist.

Her bror, Carlos Fernando Chamorro, director of independent news outlet Confidencial, confirmed raid via Twitter.

judicial system said in a statement that a judge h issued search and detention orders for 67-year-old Cristiana Chamorro Wednesday. It was t immediately kwn if Chamorro was detained.

Vilma Nuñez, president of Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, said that police h “violently” entered Chamorro's home south of capital.

police raided home 15 minutes before Chamorro was scheduled to give a news conference. She was expected to challenge President Daniel Ortega for presidency.

Authorities h sought Tuesday to have Chamorro barred from participating in v. 7 elections. Chamorro has said allegations were trumped up to keep her out of race.

In late May, national police raided offices of Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation for Reconciliation and Democracy, ngovernmental group named after her mor and led by Chamorro until recently. y also raided offices of Confidencial.

Nicaraguan government has said Chamorro is under investigation for alleged financial irregularities related to foundation.

In January, she stepped down from her role at foundation. A month later, it closed its operations in Nicaragua after pass of a “foreign nts” law designed to track foreign funding of organizations operating in country.

Cristiana Chamorro’s mor beat Ortega to win presidency in 1990 and served until 1997.

Her husband, Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, h run his family newspaper La Prensa and was jailed and forced into exile multiple times by dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza. He was eventually assassinated in 1978. Cristiana Chamorro is vice president of La Prensa.