Ortega Regime Pressures Families to Send their Children to School

While many countries have closed schools, in Nicaragua school principals threaten parents who refuse to send their children to school, like the story of Marcelina Peralta who decided not to send her son to school anymore until the Covid-19 pandemic no longer threatens the family’s health.

“The school principal tried to persuade me, but the life of my loved ones comes first,” this mother, whose 10-year-old son attends a Managua public school, told Confidencial.

“The principal called me on the phone and insisted that my son was going to miss his exams and not receive his report card, but I was firm. I told her no. (…) If my son fails the year, I don’t care,” Peralta.

Nicaragua confirmed its first case on March 18, and by March 31 had five confirmed cases, “all imported” according to the government.

And while every country has seen an increase in cases, some more than others, in Nicaragua, today, April 4, the number of infected still stands at 5.

The regime refuses to follow the international recommendations for preventing contagion, among them suspending classes in the public schools.

In the face of a lack of leadership with the coronavirus, many Nicaraguans have adopted their own prevention measures using the recommendations in other countries and the indications of the World Health Organization (WHO), among them not sending their children to school.

While the economic situation of each family is different, uppermost in the minds of all these parents is the protection of their children and of the elderly.

Nonetheless, school principals and political secretaries from the Governing political party, in line with the official directives, persist in trying to “raise consciousness” among the parents, at times with house-to-house visits, so that they’ll allow their children to attend class.

“The teachers aren’t demanding anything, the ones who are going around like crazy people are the [Sandinista led] neighborhood committees and the school principals. I understand my son’s teacher, because he has to support his family, and he understands me,” Peralta stated.