Nicaragua students released from the church after the night of violence; 2 dead

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MANAGUA, Nicaragua – Catholic bishops obtained Saturday the release of dozens of Nicaraguan student demonstrators trapped in a church in a shower of gunfire from a pro-government government According to a group of In defense of human rights, two students were killed and died in the church, told NBC News Carlos Rodriguez, spokesman for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights In Central America

. Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, of the Archdiocese of Managua, also said Saturday at a press conference that two young people had been killed and two others wounded

"It's sad for us and we said several times that we should not die. "Brenes said.

Students took refuge in the Catholic Church of Divine Mercy Friday after gunmen loyal to President Daniel Ortega began shooting at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN) in Managua, sparking new criticism of the violent repression against opposition to his reign.

This follows months of unrest between pro-government forces and protesters who killed about 300 people. Clashes between forces supporting President Daniel Ortega and demonstrators calling for his resignation mark the deadliest demonstrations in Nicaragua since the end of the civil war in 1990.

Paulo Abrao, of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, said on Twitter that At least one youth had died in the church and three people were injured. The mother of a woman who spent the night in the church told Reuters that a student was dead.

The mother who reported a death said that students spent the night squatting on the church floor fearing for their lives.

"They have no scruples to shoot and kill anyone … This morning a young man died inside the church," said the mother , Socorro. She asked not to give her last name for fear of reprisals

A delegation of Nicaraguan Catholic Bishops negotiated the transfer of students to the Managua Metropolitan Cathedral, where they were receiving medical care

.

On Saturday, three American lawmakers from Florida spoke on violence in Nicaragua, calling for an end.

Journalists and students who remain trapped inside report that the shooting did not stop. It is now nearly 2 am in Nicaragua and government forces fired on this university, and the church inside, for more than 12 hours

– Joshua Partlow (@partlowj) 14 July 2018

"# The Ortega paramilitaries have trapped dozens of students, some of whom are injured, inside a church. Oppression and the aggression must stop, "said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla. on Facebook.

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Compared the Ortega regime to that of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, adding that the violence in Nicaragua is "reprehensible".

"The American people side with Nicaragua's people," Nelson wrote on Facebook. "They deserve to have their voices heard."

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., A broadcast Saturday several tweets about violence in Nicaragua, showing images of bullets that he said were being used by Ortega's "paramilitary gangs."

"This attack and this siege is being carried out by the paramilitary gangs , who are armed and controlled by Ortega and his wife / VP Rosario Murillo, will be directly and personally responsible for those who have already died or been injured and of all those who die or are injured, "writes Rubio in a document.] tweet .

Nicaragua has been convulsed by unrest since April, when its left-wing president proposed cutting pension benefits to cover a social security deficit.The plan, later abandoned, provoked protests. murderous and led to requests for Ortega's resignation and early elections.

A national strike swept the streets Friday, companies closing their doors, responding to the call of Ortega.

The general strike followed mbad protests that spread across the Central American nation on Thursday.