Rafael Solis

Rafael Solís Cerda (born July 25, 1953 in Managua) is a Nicaraguan attorney, politician and former Justice of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) of Nicaragua. He served on the Supreme Court for 19 years before resigning in January 2019. Before joining the Supreme Court, Solís had served in the Nicaraguan legislature and as a military leader.

Early life Solís grew up in a wealthy Catholic family and attended the Colegio Centro América in Managua, Nicaragua. He studied law at Central American University in Managua, where he became a student leader. Solís joined the Sandinista National Liberation Front, fighting in Managua.

Following his return to Nicaragua, Solís became the First Secretary of the National Assembly from 1985 to 1990, and as a member of both its Constitutional Appeal and Criminal Appeal chambers. with hundreds of deaths ensuing. Solis disputed Ortega's claim that violence in the country resulted from a foreign-backed attempted coup, and predicted that unless pro-Ortega paramilitary groups were disarmed, opposition groups would arm as well, eventually leading to civil war, particularly as the country's economic situation deteriorated.