At least four people, including a 14 month-old baby, have been killed in Managua after security forces opened fire on protesters, activists say. Teyler Leonardo Lorío Navarrete was in his father’s arms when he was shot in the head.
According to the mother, Karina, 27, it was about 7 in the morning she was walking with her husband and her son behind the primary school Américas 1, heading to her mother-in-law’s house, and they did not perceive signs of danger where they passed every day.
“In the corner, police dressed in civilian clothes began to fire bursts and there they hit him a bullet in the head to my son. It was the police, because they are the only ones who are armed,” Karina argued.
The government denied it, blaming local criminals, the Nicaraguan Centre for Human Rights said.
“He was killed by a police gunshot. I saw them. They were police. Nobody told me,” Karina told news reporters.
More than 200 people have reportedly died in two months of violent protests and demonstrations, triggered by government cuts to pensions and social security announced in April.
Talks, the national dialogue sponsored by the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua (Conferencia Episcopal de Nicaragua – CEN) between President Daniel Ortega and opposition to solve the crisis have failed.
University students have set up protests camps in Managua, including at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN), living in tents and use homemade mortars in clashes with police, anti-riot squads, paramilitary groups and pro-government vigilantes.
The CEN on Saturday reiterated their demands, asking President Daniel Ortega to communicate officially and formally his acceptance of the proposal made by the bishops on advancing general elections to be held in March of next year.
The bishops consider it essential that Ortega accepts the proposal to continue in an agile and concrete manner with the National Dialogue.
The bishops made the proposal to Ortega on June 7, in a meeting with Ortega who told the bishops he needed two days to consider it. He has yet to reply.
The Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH), calculates that 212 persons died, up to June 19, due to the socio-political crisis in which the country is immersed.
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