Deadly Riots Dispatch

U.S. State Department Orders Families Of Staff Out Of Nicaragua

“At Least 24 Dead…” ~ NPR

The words below are a reprint from the 4/23/18 Facebook post of American expat Tim “McSheep” Bolen in Nicaragua:

5 days Protesting were not in vain!
Please share, repost and comment! Sometimes history needs an active audience.

I wrote a post earlier but think I accidentally deleted it so here’s a rewrite.

(Updated and revised as of 4:45 p.m. my time.)

The protested changes to pensions and income have been repealed! But the 30+ lives that were lost and ongoing damage to property will remain. Right now in Managua, Nicaragua’s capital, electricity is in and out and water has been cut off. It’s been days since three of the country’s independent news outlets have been cut off the air and silenced, as the other Sandinista stations continue. As of two days ago the military was deployed to Managua and to other cities. In Leon whole city streets have been burnt, there and in Masaya and the capitol, rock roads have been taken apart and formed into barricades to protect neighborhoods and are being patrolled by citizens. Police, military and Sandinista agents have been looting supermarkets all over the country. Now citizens are protecting the gates of the markets and retrieving stolen goods, though all blame is being put on protesters. Remaining open markets are expected to close if discord continues. As of this morning many gas stations have been closed and the one in town is empty (but it is said to have some more this afternoon).

The president, after talking to business leaders, has repealed the issue that started these protests. But since that time so many people here have other issues to handle with the ruling “party”. Once police had locked students in universities and shot in them and also at churches a wave of disgust and anger has echoed through the community.

I put out my best intentions for this conflict to be over soon. Though some people think that revolution or civil war may be on the horizon. I put my best in tensions out to people here, in Syria and all over the world, for peace. So many kind people all over the world trying to just live a decent life and provide for their families are being destroyed by the bad decisions and greed of the wealthy few.

The USA Today update on unrest is HERE. The Independent UK story is HERE. ~Editor

Photo below from nbcnews.com.


Nicaragua students pension protest.
Nicaragua students pension protest.

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