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The Nicaraguan Dictatorship Is a Poor Copy of North Korea’s

North Korea has had two dynastic successions, from Kim Il Sung to Kim Jong-il, and from Jong-il to Kim Jong-un. Ortega’s regime has had none.

By Silvio Prado (Confidencial)

HAVANA TIMES – Hereditary dictatorship was once an oddity among communist regimes—something more characteristic of late-feudal monarchies than of the left-wing movements that sought to overthrow them. That changed when the hereditary dictatorship of the Kims was established in North Korea in the mid-1970s, with the transfer from the first to the second generation at the Fifth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Until then, dynastic succession had been an anomaly. This father-to-son transition was possible because it rested on three pillars of power: one-man leadership (and the family), the military, and the party. Ortega’s regime appears to be following the same pattern, but lacking both time and institutional mechanisms, it will inevitably fall short.

Hereditary successions fit within the logic of principal-agent relations, in which the principal is the boss, “the person for whom or by whose authority action is taken” (Paul Brooker), while the agent refers to the subordinate, deputy, or person acting on behalf of the principal. Under dictatorships, however, when we ask who is in charge, the roles are reversed: the institutions—which should be the principal—become instruments of the dictator, while the dictator—who should be the agent—becomes the boss.

North Korea, unlike other neighboring communist regimes, has undergone two dynastic successions in 78 years: from Kim Il Sung to Kim Jong-il, and from Kim Jong-il to Kim Jong-un. Over roughly the same period, China has undergone five non-dynastic successions, while the Soviet Union had six in 74 years. Ortega’s regime, in 42 years (including the 17 years it was out of power), has had none. Until a few years ago, that is, when the dictator’s approaching end and the notable rejection of his now co-president wife set off all the alarms. Of the three pillars on which North Korea’s first succession rested—one-man leadership, the military, and the party—Ortega’s regime has managed to rely only on the family and the weapons of the state (including the police).

One-Man Leadership and the Challenge of the Second Generation

In North Korea, Kim Il Sung’s charismatic leadership was undeniable. Even so, such a closed regime encountered problems when it came time to pass the baton to his successor. His second wife (who was........

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