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Geneva – The escalation of violence in Nicaragua is driving thousands of people to flee. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), more than 200 Nicaraguans are seeking asylum every day from their neighbor in southern Costa Rica, a spokesman said in Geneva on Tuesday. Since mid-April, 8,000 people have applied for asylum, and another 15,000 have received delays for applications because the authorities are completely overburdened. Thousands of other Nicaraguans are suspected in the country who have not yet reported. Many would be supported by longtime relatives from there. The number of people who fled Nicaragua as a whole could not be quantified by UNHCR.
Since mid-April, protests against the ruling autocratic president, Daniel Ortega, have intensified in the country of Central America. According to government figures, 195 people were killed. However, human rights organizations speak about 450 dead.
UNHCR called on other countries to support Costa Rica. People from Nicaragua are fleeing or seeking refuge in Panama, Mexico, the United States, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. (AP)
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