Juan Sebastián Chamorro

Juan Sebastián Chamorro García (born 1971) is a Nicaraguan economist, businessman and politician. He was a pre-candidate for president in the 2021 Nicaraguan general election until he was detained in a wave of arrests of opposition candidates and other civic leaders.

Early life and education Chamorro was born in 1971 to Sonia García and journalist Xavier Chamorro Cardenal who founded the newspaper El Nuevo Diario in 1980, part of the fallout from the assassination of his brother Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal in 1978, an event broadly seen as a turning point in boosting support for the Sandinista Revolution and its success in overthrowing the Somoza dictatorship the next year.

Chamorro had four siblings: Margarita, Gabriel, Ana and Francisco. He earned a Master's degree in economics with a mention in social policies from Georgetown University, then a doctorate in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in econometrics. His dissertation examined on property rights and their impact on the Nicaraguan economy.

Chamorro is executive director of economic think tank FUNIDES and represented the business sector in the 2018 National Dialogue, as a leader of the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy (ACJD) opposition to the government of President Daniel Ortega.

He has called for election reforms in advance of the 2021 elections, including raising the percentage required to win without going through a runoff.

2021 presidential campaign In 2021 Chamorro García is an opposition pre-candidate for the presidency in the Nicaraguan general election.

His cousin Cristiana Chamorro Barrios also campaigned for the position until being detained.

Personal life Chamorro married Victoria Cárdenas circa 1999. They have one daughter.