(Reuters) -A critic of the authoritarian Nicaragua government has died in state custody two weeks after his arrest, local media and opposition parties reported on Saturday, days after a second long-time critic was also reported to have died in detention.

The fatalities suggest a deepening crackdown by President Daniel Ortega and his wife, co-president Rosario Murillo, who have quashed dissent and overseen the arrest of hundreds of opponents in recent years. Five government critics are reported to have died in government custody since 2019.

Attorney Carlos Cardenas, who was reported dead on Saturday, was arrested on August 15 amid police raids targeting government opponents. He had previously been imprisoned following a massive social uprising in 2018. Reuters was unable to directly conta

See Full Page