Nicaraguans to Continue Fighting Without Fear, Student Protesters Say
MANAGUA – Nicaragua will continue carrying out without fear a “peaceful fight” so that “the genocidal government abandons power,” a young student, who joined a sit-in protest in which some 500 people participated, said under the pseudonym “Champiolla.”
Since April 18, according to different human rights organizations, between 295-448 people in Nicaragua lost their lives during protests against the administration of President Daniel Ortega after his failed social security reforms pulled the last trigger of the Nicaraguans, prompting them to demonstrate in the streets.
However, these students no longer want more bloodshed, nor do they want more deaths, kidnappings, arrests and torture to occur, so Champiolla vowed to continue protesting “in a peaceful way, because there is too much pain and too many tears.”
The young woman, who claims to believe “firmly that nothing can be achieved as Nicaraguans if the genocide (the government) does not leave power, and that’s why we will continue standing and demanding that he leave so that we can declare our Nicaragua free, just as we Nicaraguans deserve.”
“Because of history, we are fighters and we have already faced this type of situation, so all of us as brothers are going to continue, we already know that the situation we are in is hard, but we can face it with unity and as we are hard-working people, we will be able to move the country forward,” she said.
A spokesperson for the protesters said that “despite the murders, imprisonments and terror,” young people will not abandon their struggle for freedom and prosperity in the country.
“Do not give up or decline,” is the slogan repeated over and over again by the participants in the demonstration.
“We will continue to mobilize, we will continue standing, in peaceful protest, we will continue to go out to the streets to say that we are not afraid despite the bloodshed,” said the spokesperson.
“For justice, democracy and for the ousting of the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship,” the protesters will persist and continue the path initiated 100 days ago, which is “a free, fair and democratic Nicaragua.”
The protests against Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, began on April 18, due to failed social security reforms and descended into a national demand for his resignation.
Ortega has been in power for 11 years and has faced accusations of abuse and corruption.
Article first appeared at Latin American Herald Tribune.
