Arnoldo Alemán facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arnoldo Alemán
56th President of Nicaragua
In office 10 January 1997 – 10 January 2002
Vice President	Enrique Bolaños (1997–2000) Leopoldo Navarro (2000–2002)
Preceded by	Violeta Chamorro
Succeeded by	Enrique Bolaños
President of the National Assembly of Nicaragua
In office 9 January 2002 – 19 September 2002
Preceded by	Óscar Moncada
Succeeded by	Jaime Cuadra Somarriba
Mayor of Managua
In office 26 April 1990 – 20 September 1995
Preceded by	Carlos Carrión Cruz
Succeeded by	Roberto Cedeño
Personal details
Born	José Arnoldo Alemán Lacayo (1946-01-23) 23 January 1946 (age 79) Managua, Nicaragua
Political party	Constitutionalist Liberal Party (until 2021)
Spouse	María Fernanda Flores Lanzas
Alma mater	National Autonomous University of Nicaragua

José Arnoldo Alemán Lacayo, born on January 23, 1946, is a politician from Nicaragua. He served as the 56th President of Nicaragua from 1997 to 2002. Later, there were concerns about his actions, but a court decision in 2009 changed an earlier ruling.

Early Life and Education

Arnoldo Alemán was born in Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. He went to the La Salle institute in Managua for his early schooling. His father was a well-known lawyer.

In 1967, Alemán earned a law degree from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua-León. He focused on areas like how different economies work together and money laws. From 1968 to 1979, he worked as a lawyer in business and banking. During a difficult time in Nicaragua, he faced challenges and had some of his property taken.

After this period, Alemán became very active in business, politics, and education. He was part of several important groups, including:

• The Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP)
• The Union of Agricultural Producers of Nicaragua (UPANIC)
• The Association of Coffee Growers of Managua
• The Union of Coffee Growers of Nicaragua (UNCAFENIC)
• The Federation of Municipalities of Central America

He also attended conferences at universities in the United States, like Tulane University and Florida International University.

Political Career

In the early 1990s, Arnoldo Alemán became the mayor of Managua. He was very popular because he started many projects to improve the city. Managua had been badly damaged by an earthquake in 1972 and had not been fully rebuilt. Alemán's projects helped to clean up and fix the city. People sometimes called him "El Gordo" (The Fat Man).

Alemán later became the leader of the Liberal Alliance, a group of political parties. This alliance helped him become a strong political figure. On September 1, 1995, he stepped down as mayor. This was so he could run for president in the upcoming election, as required by Nicaraguan law.

In 1996, he ran for president as the Liberal Alliance's candidate. His campaign strongly opposed the Sandinista political group. He won the election against Daniel Ortega, the Sandinista leader, with 48% of the votes compared to Ortega's 40%.

As president, Alemán worked to improve Nicaragua's economy. He helped to lower inflation (when prices go up too much) and increase the country's GDP (the total value of goods and services produced). More foreign businesses invested in Nicaragua during his time, which helped to build better roads and other important structures. His slogan was "Obras, no palabras!" meaning "Actions, not words!" He oversaw a major effort to rebuild roads across Nicaragua, which had become very poor in the 1980s. He also started a program to build schools in some of the poorest areas of the country.

Alemán also took part in international meetings. He received awards from other governments, such as the National Order of Merit from Colombia and the Orden de Isabel la Católica from Spain.

Arnoldo Alemán's first wife, Maria Dolores Cardenal Vargas, passed away in 1989. They had two sons and two daughters. In 1999, he married Maria Fernanda Flores Lanzas, and they have two daughters and a son together.

Electoral History

Managua Mayoral Election 1990

Arnoldo Alemán was chosen as the mayor of Managua by the Managua City Council on April 26, 1990. He was one of 20 councilors elected in the general elections of February 25, 1990. The city council then selected him as mayor from among its members.

Presidential Election Results, October 20, 1996

Presidential Election Results, November 6, 2011

Post-Presidency and Legal Matters

Presidential styles of Arnoldo Alemán
Reference style	El Honorable Arnoldo Alemán, Presidente de la República de Nicaragua The Honorable Arnoldo Aleman, President of the Republic of Nicaragua
Spoken style	Presidente Alemán President Aleman
Alternative style	Señor Presidente Mister President

After his presidency, Arnoldo Alemán was followed by his vice president, Enrique Bolaños. There were claims that Alemán's government had issues with how money was handled. Bolaños openly spoke about these concerns.

Several foreign governments froze some of Alemán's bank accounts in their countries. In response, he stated that the money came from his coffee plantations.

In 2003, Alemán faced legal proceedings. He was given a 20-year sentence for various financial offenses. However, because of health issues, he served this time under house arrest. In 2004, an organization called Transparency International listed him among leaders with significant financial misconduct. They estimated that a large sum of money was moved from state funds to bank accounts controlled by him and his family.

Later, Alemán formed an agreement with Daniel Ortega to help stabilize the country. Some people believed this agreement was meant to share power between the two main political parties.

On January 16, 2009, the Nicaraguan Supreme Court changed the 20-year sentence against Arnoldo Alemán. This decision caused some discussion. Alemán said that "Justice has finally been served."

The next president, Enrique Bolaños, who had been Alemán's vice president, promised to improve how the government managed its finances. This led to disagreements between him and Alemán.

On November 9, 2020, the United States Department of State placed Alemán on a list of foreign officials with concerns about their actions. This also meant his family could not enter the United States.

Images for kids

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  Arnoldo Alemán during a conference in 1998.

See also

In Spanish: Arnoldo Alemán para niños