For over 40 years, Daniel Ortega has loomed over Nicaragua like few others. He was part of the Sandinista rebel forces that in 1979 overthrew the Somoza family dynasty that had ruled the Central American nation for decades. Ortega then became part of the transitional government that instituted democratic elections, and served as president from 1985 to 1990, and again since 2007. Over those 40 years, critics say, Ortega has transformed into the very dictator he once fought against. Today, we talk to L.A. Times reporter Julia Barajas about a recent crackdown on opponents of Ortega in Nicaragua. We also speak with Pedro X. Molina, a political cartoonist living in exile after having drawn one too many unflattering portraits of the president.

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Pedro X. Molina uses cartoons to comment on the political and social realities of Nicaragua