Former Marxist revolutionary Daniel Ortega was headed back to power on Monday in a presidential election 16 years after Nicaragua's voters ousted him to end a brutal civil war with U.S.-trained Contra rebels.
Ortega's almost certain victory was a blow to Washington and reinforces an anti-U.S. alliance in Latin America led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
With returns in from 62 percent of polling stations in Sunday's election, Ortega had 38.6 percent support and a big enough lead over his nearest rival to seal a first-round win.
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He stopped short of claiming victory on Monday night, preferring to wait until final official results, but he said was ready to work with other parties to ``eradicate poverty and reassure the private sector and international investors.''
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