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Thousands of Nicaraguans formed a human chain Wednesday to demand the departure of President Daniel Ortega and the end of months of violence that have killed at least 220 people.
Waving blue and white Nicaraguan flags, protesters lined up one of the main roads leading from the capital Managua in the latest high-level protest against the 72-year-old president.
"The people have risen and we tell Commander Ortega to leave, to resign, people are not afraid of him," said a 27-year-old protester with a flag in his hand .
Many protesters were business employees located next to the highway.
Earlier, Ortega's younger brother, former military leader Humberto Ortega, called for early elections and the dismantling of pro-government paramilitary violent groups to help resolve two and a half months of disorders.
Ortega made public his proposals contained in a letter to a national dialogue between the government and the Catholic Church and the opposition, to try to stop the anti-Ortega demonstrations and the government repression that have ravaged the country of Central America since April 18.
The retired general, who often criticized the administration of his brother planned for 2021 to 2019 – a key opposition request, he called a "peaceful solution to the tragic crisis that we are suffering "
-" Yes to peace "-
By holding early elections, the president would say yes He also urged the government to dismantle paramilitary groups and called on the opposition to demolish the barricades used to seal the peace, "which will help the economy to recover, as well as to regenerate investment and tourism."
The 72-year-old president remained silent on a previous proposal of the influential Catholic hierarchy to advance the elections to the next year
There was no sign of let-up in the violence.Police forces and pro-government paramilitaries continued to clean the erig barricades by anti-government protesters
Truckloads of pro-government armed men and police invaded a city in northern Nicaragua on Tuesday
Foreign Minister Denis Moncada said the government was willing to listen opposition, but demanded that the barricades be lifted first.
The government incursion took place in La Trinidad, 125 kilometers. north of the capital Managua. State media said that a riot police officer is dead. Several protesters were injured, human rights activists said.
Local people said the police had surrounded a church in which priests and parishioners were hiding and that they were still there on Wednesday
. Trinity by police and paramilitaries, "told AFP Meyling Gutierrez of the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights
Catholic prelate Leopoldo Brenes called on the police to suspend" this harbadment action so that the faithful can return home. "
In the rebel town of Masaya, 30 kilometers south of Managua, the house of the local leader of the anti-government protest Yubrank Suazo was set on fire at dawn.
" This hateful act of which my family is victim, "I am strengthening myself in my fight for a better Nicaragua," Suazo told AFP, saying he was holding the groups loyal to Ortega accountable.
Anti-government demonstration in the Nicaraguan capital Managua on July 3, 2018 [19659022] A man throws debris from the home of opposition student leader Yubrank Suazo after being burned in the conflict in Nicaragua
A woman and a girl recover some objects spared by the fire that burns Suazo's house [19659024]
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