MANAGUA – More than 100 riot police blocked on Wednesday a group of protesters who were attempting to march to the National Assembly of Nicaragua to demand justice for the 43 people killed during last month’s wave of violent demonstrations.
“We were heading toward the National Assembly, but, once again, we were repressed by (president) Daniel Ortega’s oppressive guard,” student Jairo Larios told EFE.
The march started out from the Central American University campus in Managua and was blocked a couple of miles later by at least two rows of cops.
“Let us through,” “we don’t have weapons,” the group of some 30 protesters told police officers.
“They weren’t criminals, they were students,” the demonstrators chanted, referring to the 43 people killed during clashes with police last month.
“They aren’t letting peaceful protesters reach the National Assembly. The police are probably just following orders, but the government’s intention of repressing these people is clear,” Denis Darce Solis, an activist with the Permanent Commission on Human Rights, told reporters.
Nicaraguans are awaiting the announcement of a starting date for a national dialogue, organized by the government and the Cosep business federation, which will be mediated by the Catholic bishops’ conference.
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