U.S. Demands Return Of Donated Police Vehicles Used To Repress

On Monday, June 25, the Embassy of the United States of America requested the National Police of Nicaragua to return or pay for the vehicles that the Government of the United States donated to that institution for its legitimate activities.

“Some of these vehicles have been used by the Nicaraguan National Police and paramilitary forces under their command, to violently suppress the voices of those who peacefully protest against the actions of their government,” the U.S. Embassy in Managua said in a statement. “These actions violate the terms of the Charter of Understanding established for the cooperation of the United States government with the National Police of Nicaragua.”

In response, the government of Daniel Ortega has reiterated to Donald Trump a charge of US$16 billion dollars for “repair of the war” of the 1980s.

“Today (Tuesday) the vehicles have been returned to the US embassy, now we demand the payment of US$16 billion dollars to repair of the war they financed in Nicaraguan territory with the Contra,” Foreign Minister, Denis MoncadaMoncada said in his official Twitter account.

For its part, the National Police denied in a statement that the vehicles were used to repress.

“These means of transport were used for the attention of young people at risk and by mobile units of Inspection of the Anti-narcotics Directorate,” said the National Police.

The human rights organizations, local and international, have pointed to the Nicaraguan Police and paramilitaries working with the police to repress  demonstrators, something that has generated a wave of criticism from the U.S.

The (US) State Department has condemned the ongoing violence and the intimidation campaign by the Government of Nicaragua, describing as unacceptable the attacks and threats against those who demonstrate peacefully and against the population in general,” the US Embassy in Managua said.

Images of armed gangs riding the National Police trucks have been widely shared on social media and have become something of a symbol of the state repression.

Nicaragua is experiencing a crisis since April 18, which to date has left some 285 people dead, 1,500 injured and 156 missing according to a report by the Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights (ANPDH)