The Nicaraguan President accuses the Catholic Church of being part of a coup plot. He further states that his government is determined to continue the campaign of violence against his own people
Samuel Misteli
No compromise: Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega celebrates his supporters on Thursday as police and paramilitaries brutally crack down on protesters. (Photo: Oswaldo Rivas / Reuters)
The Nicaraguan President again indicated on Thursday that he had no intention of ending the brutal crackdown. Speaking at a rally on the 39th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution in the capital, Managua, Daniel Ortega said the government is facing a conspiracy funded and armed by forces in the country and at the same time. # 39; abroad. In particular, he called the Catholic Church, which he accused of being part of a coup plot against the government. The churches were used to store weapons and as bases for attack and murder .
Ortega seeks to discredit the institution he ordered after the protests began in April to launch a national dialogue. The church then mediated between the government and a civic alliance made up of representatives from universities, the private sector and agricultural workers. Talks were interrupted again at the beginning of last week. The civil society coalition has ruled for a recovery, that this is happening, is more than questionable after Ortegas' statements Thursday. The Alliance des Citoyens demands, among other things, early elections and democratic reforms.
The government relies on a complete repression
On the other hand, the government seems to count on a complete repression of the demonstrations. In recent days, security forces and paramilitaries have targeted some of the last bastions of resistance. For 15 hours, they shot dead a church in Managua over the weekend that had cut off some 200 students who had previously held the National Autonomous University. Two students were shot in the head. Outpatient clinics that provided care to the wounded were not allowed to pass before church officials intervened with the government. On Tuesday, pro-government forces stormed a quarter of the town of Masaya, killing at least three people.
For months, there have been protests in Nicaragua against President Ortega, who is brutalizing his critics more and more. Security forces react by force. About 300 people have already been killed. In the photo: A masked protester in the capital, Managua, holds a sign saying "I'm here for Nicaragua." (Photo: Oswaldo Rivas / Reuters) At least two people were killed in the latest attack Launched by pro-government fighters against Masaya's stronghold of opposition in Nicaragua on July 16. (Image: Cristobal Venegas / AP) Masaya is located about 30 kilometers south of the capital Managua. Such images shape the current daily life of the population there on July 17. (Photo: Oswaldo Rivas / Reuters) Police and masked paramilitaries break the streets of Massaya with assault rifles. Gunfire is heard again and again on July 16. (Image: Oswaldo Rivas / Reuters) Arbitrary arrests, torture, censorship and violent attacks on the press have been on the agenda since months: In the photo: Masked police officers (Photo: Afredo Zuniga / AP) According to human rights defenders, more than 300 people have died in clashes between security forces, pro-government paramilitaries and government opponents. The government is talking about 50 dead. Pictured: A mask adorns the coffin of a Nicaraguan student who was fatally injured during clashes around Agraria University in Managua on July 14th. (Photo: Cristobal Venegas / AP) More or less, in mid-April, in a country of Central America, quiet, demonstrations on a national scale, such as President Daniel Ortega by the law to reduce pensions and increase contributions. On the photo: Protesters climb the statue of Nicaraguan boxer Alexis Arguello on July 12, during a protest march against President Daniel Ortega in the city of Managua. (Photo: Rodrigo Sura / EPA) A young man said he was injured when police in Managua tried to open a roadblock (11 June). (Image: Jorge Torres / Imago) A protester rests during protests in the city of Masaya. The demonstrations take place not only in the capital Managua, but also in the former strongholds of the Sandinistas (June 9). (Photo: Bienvenido Velasco Blanco / EPA) Men from the town of Masaya, in southwestern Nicaragua, carry the coffin of a man shot at demonstrations (7 June). (Photo: Alfredo Zuniga / AP) A man resting at demonstrations in the city of León on a poster showing President Ortega (June 7). (Photo: Jorge Cabrera / Reuters) A protester in Masaya shows a cartridge allegedly used by the police against protesters (2 June). (Photo: Inti Ocon / AFP / Getty) Protesters marched in Managua on May 30, Nicaragua Day, to show their solidarity with the mothers of those who have been killed so far. Security forces and paramilitary thugs attacked the march. Among others, snipers posted on the roof of a baseball stadium are targeting participants. At least eight people died. A Catholic bishop then spoke of a "massacre". (Photo: Jorge Torres / Imago) Students from the Universidad Agraria de Managua are fighting with the police. The demonstrations began on April 18, after President Ortega issued a pension reform by decree. In many places, students lead the protests (April 19). (Image: Oswaldo Rivas / Reuters) A policeman targets two men on motorcycles during a demonstration in Managua (May 28). (Image: Oswaldo Rivas / Reuters) The student Lesther Alemán speaks during a protest in Masaya. Alemán became one of the most prominent figures of resistance to the government when he clashed with President Ortega during a public hearing in May (May 22). (Image: Inti Ocon / AFP / Getty) A protester with a homemade weapon during a protest in Managua (May 26). (Image: Oswaldo Rivas / Reuters) A policeman fires rubber in Managua in front of protesters. Security forces are supported in many places by paramilitary groups, including members of the Sandinista Youth Front (20 April). (Photo: Oswaldo Rivas / Reuters)
Cartridges against protesters – Impressions of bloody demonstrations in Nicaragua
More than 350 people have been killed in Nicaragua since protests began in mid-April, most of them civilians . Several children were among the victims. The government has arrested hundreds of protesters, often for sensitive reasons. Among other things, detainees are accused of terrorism. The security forces reportedly ran lists of opponents of the government and ransacked the neighborhoods to find the people arrested. The government's campaign long recalls that used by the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza in the 1970s to fight the Sandinista revolution. The current president, Mr. Ortega, was part of the Sandinista Liberation Front and was imprisoned from 1967 to 1974 for terrorism.
The international community has condemned the crackdown in Nicaragua more clearly than previously in recent days. The Organization of American States (OAS) on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning the human rights violations committed by security forces and paramilitaries. The OAS has called on the government to resume the dialogue. The European Union and the UN have also called for an end to the violence this week. A spokesman for the United Nations Human Rights Authority said the appalling bloodshed was finally to stop.
