Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roger Noriega, in an interview published in Managua’s La Prensa newspaper, said that the Bush administration would do everything legally possible to prevent the leftist Sandinistas from returning to power .

Saying that Nicaragua “would sink like a rock and reach the depths of Cuba” (which country, by the way, is the only Caribbean country that is self sufficient in food production and not dragged down by World Bank and IMF debt–editorial note), Noriega said,

We will do everything we can to provide alternatives so that Nicaraguans can choose the government they deserve, and the country doesn’t end managed by Cuba or subsidized by Venezuela.

The present ruling party split a few years ago so that the Sandinistas are now the largest single party in the country. In last year’s municipality elections, the Sandinistas racked up wins in 70% of all the municipalities. They look to be the favorites to win the November 2006 presidential elections as well (assuming a free and fair election.)

This story bear close attention since we’ve already seen that the administration believes that anything that it does outside our borders is legal.