This is the translation of an article that provides an analysis of the correlation of forces of the National Dialogue, just as this second Dialogue essentially ended. Both sides say they are taking a time to reflect. The Commandante…is staying? From El País/El Faro By Carlos Dada, April 6, 2019 [see original Spanish at https://elpais.com/internacional/2019/04/04/america/1554400084_539740.html … Continue reading The Commandante…is staying? →

When the National Dialogue was renewed on Feb 27 of this year, a deadline of March 28th was set for agreements to be reached, in light of the criticism that the government would only use the negotiations to buy time to prevent the implementation of sanctions from the OAS, European Union and the US due … Continue reading Excerpt of Speech by Daniel Ortega on the last day of the National Dialogue April 3, 2019, on receiving the credentials of 13 Ambassadors →

What follows is a translation of the agreement signed on March 29, 2019 between the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy (ACJD) and the Government of National Reconciliation and Unity  (GRUN) within the context of the renewed National Dialogue. When sit-ins for the release of political prisoners were held the next day and were attacked … Continue reading Agreement to Strengthen Citizen Rights and Guarantees →

This letter was made public the on March 28th, the day after the chief negotiator for the Sandinista Government, Denis Moncada, gave an interview to a local TV station explaining why it would take time for prisoners to be released, and basic freedoms could not be restored as requested. Rafael Solís, the former top FSLN … Continue reading One More Reflection on the National Dialogue: Electoral Issues by Rafael Solís →

This article provides an important perspective from the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua on the crisis, especially in light of the National Dialogue as different sectors search for possible “solutions” to the crisis. It was published in Oct 2018, before the current National Dialogue was resumed.  A Cry for Nicaragua, a cry from the Caribbean Coast … Continue reading A Cry for Nicaragua, a cry from the Caribbean Coast →

This is an article about a  new initiative of young people around transitional justice designed to ensure the the voices of victims are heard in the National Dialogue process.  It is “hour zero” to talk about justice in Nicaragua by Franklin Villavicencio, March 16, 2019 in Niú.com.ni [Original article in Spanish: https://niu.com.ni/llego-la-hora-cero-para-hablar-de-justicia-en-nicaragua/] A group of … Continue reading It is “hour zero” to talk about justice in Nicaragua →

This is the statement that Government made on March 18, 2019 expressing their perspective on the  demonstrations The Blue and White  National Unity held on Saturday, March 16th. 

This post and the press release by the Nicaraguan Government which follows, shows the difference in perspectives between  The Blue and White National Unity, a participant in the National Dialogue under the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy, and the government. The government, through the actions of the National Police, has not allowed civil society … Continue reading Press Release of Blue and White National Unity, March 18, 2019 →

There was a strong presence of heavily armed police and riot police all along the Carretera Masaya, and the route of the march announced by the Civic Alliance. Social media is full of photos and videos as the police picked up over 100 people gathering for the demonstration, mostly in the Centroamerica rotunda, La Fise … Continue reading NICARAGUAN GOVERNMENT CRACKS DOWN ON PEACEFUL PROTESTORS AND ARBITRARILY DETAINS OVER 80 CITIZENS →

Last Wednesday, March 13, the Civic Alliance announced that they would rejoin the talks with the Nicaraguan government, after the government had announced that on Friday it would release a “significant nucleus” of the some 650 people detained during the crisis. The Civic Alliance also called for a march for the release of all political … Continue reading Press Release of the National Police of Nicaragua, March 15, 2019 →

The Dialogue between the Government and the Civic Alliance was restarted on Feb 27 with daily meetings, so far just to set the framework and the agenda. It was reported that a key issue in dispute was the fact that the Civic Alliance wanted the Nicaraguan Bishop´s Conference to act as witness and accompanier, and … Continue reading Three posts on the National Dialogue: CEN, Government of Nicaragua and Civic Alliance →

This appeared on Enrique´s blog yesterday, and is a critical analysis of the negotiations set to begin today between Ortega and the Blue and White Alliance. The author is a founding member of the Movement for Sandinista Renovation (MRS). Ortega´s Motives By Enrique Saenz, Feb 26, 2019 https://enriquesaenz.com We are on the brink of the … Continue reading Ortega´s Motives →

With the announcement of the renewal of the National Dialogue on Feb 21st, voices were raised questioning the government´s motives, as it was the government that walked away from the first attempt at dialogue. Furthermore, the government´s sincerity in wanting to dialogue has been questioned by some, as people continue to be picked up without … Continue reading The big jigsaw puzzle: Who will pick up the pieces? →

This is an important speech because in it Daniel Ortega announces the renewal of the National Dialogue, and provides his perspective on it. As is his custom, his speech touches on many international issues. He also makes reference to the controversial tax reform that has been sent to the National Assembly for urgent approval. But … Continue reading Speech of Daniel Ortega on the 85th anniversary of the death of Augusto Sandino →

The author is well known essayist in Nicaragua on a wide array of topics. He is a sociologist and researcher who has published several books on migration, youth and gangs in Central America. This article addresses a key issue for the left in Latin America: the number of deaths caused by the Maduro and Ortega … Continue reading The human sacrifices of the left →

These articles, part of a two part series,  are important in that they address the Nicaraguan government´s contention that the crisis in April 2018 was really a coup attempt on the part of right wing forces supported by the US.  Coup d’état? La Prensa, February 8-9, 2019 By José Adán Silva The thesis of the … Continue reading Coup d’état? →

The author of the following article just won the Ibero-American Rey de España award for this article, originally published in Confidencial May 26, 2018.  We provide the translation of that article here because of its international importance. See the version in Spanish for the photos of the MRIs mentioned in the article. An interesting recent … Continue reading They were shooting with precision: to kill! →

This document could not be found on the official website of the FSLN, el Digital 19, but is reported to have come from a political secretary in one of the Government Ministries. The Spanish version can be found here.  It does reflect the government´s perspective on the crisis- that it was promoted by coup supporters … Continue reading POLICY OF NATIONAL STRATEGY “DEFENSE IS FIRST…FOR PEACE, THE COMMON GOOD, FOR PRODUCTION” →

Pope Francis traveled this week to Panama for the celebration of World Youth Day. Thousands of Nicaraguans traveled there as well, and this letter was delivered to the Pope asking his help in resolving the crisis , freeing political prisoners, and breaking what the letter calls “the cycle of impunity.” NATIONAL UNITY             Managua, January … Continue reading Letter to Pope Francis from Blue and White National Unity →

This is a long interview, but worth the read because it addresses in a comprehensive way different facets of the crisis and  options for its resolution. The author was a founding member of the National Directorate of the FSLN in the 1980s, and  has the experience of being part of the FSLN´s negotiating team during … Continue reading The crisis of April: Nature and scope →

Oscar René Vargas is a well known political analyst, now in exile in Costa Rica after the government ordered his arrest in July. He  joined the FSLN in 1967 and was forced into exile during the Somoza regime that same year, after rescuing Ortega from a safe-house surrounded by Somoza´s military. He was named Nicaraguan … Continue reading The Sorcerers of the Government →

An earlier version of this document was published in September. With minor changes it was inserted in the version of La Prensa on January 14, 2019. This translation includes the minor changes.   We are Building Nicaragua  “We are Building Nicaragua” Program This document is the draft of the Program of the Social and Political … Continue reading “Construimos Nicaragua” [We are building Nicaragua] Program →

The UCA in these days received the news that the budget subsidy that they have received by constitutional mandate – like all universities that belong to the National University Council (CNU)-  was drastically cut by 26.74% this year, when the rest of the universities received cuts of between 0.03 to 1.48%. La Prensa interviewed the … Continue reading President of the UCA. “This is a punishment for having critical thinking” →

Rafael Solís, probably the Magistrate in the Supreme Court the closest to Ortega, resigned  and released a public letter to social media the evening of January 10th. Solís was key to the Supreme Court´s decision to declare unconstitutional the amendment passed in 1995 prohibiting any president from being immediately re-elected, or ever having three terms. … Continue reading PUBLIC LETTER OF RESIGNATION AND DENUNCIATION →

This end of the year speech by Daniel Ortega takes place in the context of the report issued earlier in the month [December 2018] by the GIEI that accused the government of human rights violations so severe that they categorized them as crimes against humanity. In this speech Daniel Ortega highlights economic and social  rights, those … Continue reading New Year Message of Government of Nicaragua →

The author of this editorial ran as the Presidential Candidate for the MRS in the 2006 elections, and was a close collaborator of Pedro Joaquín Chamorro, the editor of La Prensa murdered by Somoza now nearly 41 years ago. He held a number of posts in the first Sandinista government (1979-1990). He makes an important contribution  … Continue reading A Small But Big Difference →

This interview of María Teresa Blandón was done by an Argentinian feminist organization. María is one of the key feminist leaders in Central America, and for years has taught in the graduate program at the UCA in Managua on gender studies. It provides a larger historical and gender perspective on the crisis in Nicaragua today. … Continue reading Nicaragua: Feminism as an exercise of autonomy and fight for freedom →

This is a very important document which presents the Nicaraguan government´s logic for the expulsion of the GIEI and MESENI of the IACHR. It reiterates a number of points made in other pronouncements. The heart of the government´s position is that it does not recognize any legitimate peaceful protestors, rather all described as part of … Continue reading Letter of Nicaraguan Government to OAS suspending mission of GIEI and MESENI →

One day before the OAS´s Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (known by their Spanish acronym GIEI) issued their report, they were expelled from Nicaragua by order of the government. This body was invited in by the Nicaraguan Government to help  the Nicaraguan authorities investigate and determine those guilty of what the report now calls “crimes … Continue reading NICARAGUA: Report on the Violence Events between April 18 and May 30, 2018 By the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) →

Bianca Jagger: “In Nicaragua an attack is happening against the press and human rights organizations” Translated from BBC Mundo, Dec 17, 2018 [Spanish at: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-46595823 ] Nicaragua is ending a particularly turbulent year, under the threat of sanctions on the part of the US, and human rights activists denouncing an increase in the repression. Last … Continue reading Bianca Jagger: “In Nicaragua an attack is happening against the press and human rights organizations” →

As of Thursday Dec 13, 2018  the government has cancelled the legal status of nine NGOs in Nicaragua, some of the most prominent in the country working on human rights, promotion of democracy and independent media. These actions would seem to contradict the earlier proposal announced by the Vice President to promote a culture of peace … Continue reading Regime cancels and assaults NGOs →

This event received a lot of attention for several reasons: 1) Daniel gave awards to university student leaders who led protests in the past, but have opposed the current protests, and to two university presidents who have been loyal to him, in the face of the student led uprising that continues today, whom he continues … Continue reading President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo at the Closing of the XVI Congress of the UNEN →

Oscar René Vargas is a well known political analyst, now in exile in Costa Rica after the government ordered his arrest in July. He  joined the FSLN in 1967 and was forced into exile during the Somoza regime that same year, after rescuing Ortega from a safe-house surrounded by Somoza´s military. He was named Nicaraguan … Continue reading Ortega-Murillo: Against the Ropes? →

This article, and a similar one by Cajina published in ENVÍO this month, respond to an important question about the role of the Nicaraguan Army vis a vis  the current crisis. This is especially important  in light of the government´s position that what was really behind the crisis was an attempted coup. Ortega and Murillo  … Continue reading NICARAGUAN ARMY, SPECTATOR OR ACCOMPLICE? →

This pastoral letter by the Catholic Bishop´s Conference, released on December 2, 2018 , should be seen within the context of the ongoing call for dialogue from the leaders of the opposition, the government sponsored proposal for a culture of peace and reconciliation, and the ongoing government threats and attacks against leaders of the opposition and … Continue reading Advent Message from the Bishop´s Conference of Nicaragua →

The Nicaraguan Government issued this press release shortly after the US Sanctions were announced on Nov 27, 2018.  In addition to the Treasury Department, the White House added additional sanctions by way of an Executive Order under National Emergency powers.  The Government for National Reconciliation and Unity, faithful to its Historic Proposal of working for … Continue reading Response of Nicaraguan Government to Announcement of US Sanctions →

Roberto Samcam is one of the founding members of the Sandinista Army after the triumph on 1979. Now retired, he is  a widely read blogger on events in Nicaragua, and was forced to flee the country with his family in August 2018 when he was accused of arming protestors, and  paramilitaries assaulted and looted his … Continue reading Something is cooking in the Kitchen in “EL CARMEN ” →

  Government of National Unity and Reconciliation                                         The People, President                            United in Victories!                      … Continue reading Deportation document of Ana Quirós →

Yesterday Ana Quirós, a feminist leader was stripped of her Nicaraguan citizenship and expelled from the country. This article appeared in La Prensa on Nov 26th providing some background. Who is Ana Quirós and Why did the Regime of Daniel Ortega Expel her from Nicaragua By Yubelka Mendoza González, La Prensa Nov 26, 2018 Streams … Continue reading Who is Ana Quirós and Why did the Regime of Daniel Ortega Expel her from Nicaragua →

This interview was broadcast this past Sunday on the weekly news program “Esta Semana” . It provides an inside view of the reaction of the government to the early days of the protests and massive uprisings, and confirms how damaging the government repression was to its reputation especially among its own State workers and supporters. … Continue reading Ex-political secretary of the FSLN in the Central Bank speaks out →

This in an interview of Fr. Edwin Román, the pastor of the San Miguel Church in Masaya. The interview focuses on  the government´s recently announced policy of reconciliation (see previous post). Sandino´s mother was  Fr. Román´s great grandmother, as his mother was the daughter of a half sister of Sandino. Fr. Román became  known for … Continue reading Fr Edwin Román questions the “reconciliation” of the FSLN →

The end of October the First Lady announced an initiative for the promotion of a culture of peace that would culminate in a possible amnesty law. What follows is the policy proposal the government issued, along with a calendar for its implementation. The opposition has expressed concern that the plan does not address justice and … Continue reading POLICY PROPOSAL FOR THE PROMOTION OF A CULTURE OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION (#1) →

This article appeared in La Prensa on Oct 26th. It puts the denouncement of Rafael Valdez of the St Paul Christian Community within the context of an ongoing campaign by the government to discredit the bishops, and one of the most outspoken, Silvio Báez. Here is the other side to the previous post. Ortega Dictatorship … Continue reading Ortega Dictatorship behind the threats against bishop Silvio Báez →

This week an audio was released by Rafael Valdez, a leader of the Base Christian Community of St Paul the Apostle, where the voice of Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Báez is heard, which Valdez claims prove that the bishops have been conspiring against the regime, and are therefore biased and thus can no longer serve as … Continue reading Silvio Báez is an obstacle for Peace and Reconciliation →

This editorial appeared on the official media site of the FSLN, El 19 Digital on Oct 19, 2018. Written by the President of the Church and Society Evangelical Coordinator (CEPRES), it again is an example of the extreme polarization in the country. Even more serious when the polarization is fueled by a religious leader using … Continue reading Ideologues of the coup created a 7 handed monster, carrier of the deadly poison of lies →

This article appeared  on the website of “Nicaragua investiga” on October 17, 2018. The anonymous author is a victim of sex abuse. While it is similar to the reflection of Daniel Ortega´s stepdaughter, Zoilamerica Narvaez, in  drawing a parallel between the dynamics of abusers with their victims and the relationship of Ortega with the country, … Continue reading “Nothing will be more revolutionary for our new Nicaragua than that the road to the liberation from the dictatorship be accompanied by the liberation of our consciousness” →

This is the statement from the Articulación de Movimientos Sociales on the arrests mentioned in the previous post. The Interamerican Commission on Human Rights issued a tweet this morning reminding the government of the right of the citizens to peacefully protest. (double click on image to pull up pdf)

Independent news channels in Nicaragua showed the police arresting what later became known as 38 people among many who gathered to demonstrate against the government. In the past the government policy was to mount pro government counter demonstrations along the same route announced by the opposition. This week the Police announced that they would arrest … Continue reading Police detained people who carried out a demonstration without the corresponding permit →

This news piece follows up on an earlier piece where a ruling party journalist announces his resignation from the pro government media where he worked. Because he has been receiving death  threats from ex-fellow workers, he is now threatening to release screen captures that reveal false flags operations that would compromise the government. Ex pro-government … Continue reading Ex pro-government journalist publishes chat of the attack on the May 30th march and denounces threats →

This interview of a student leader now in exile appeared in an online magazine started by a recently formed organization composed mainly of socialist parties in Europe and Latin America.. The translation of its name is International  Anticapitalists Network.  It is significant in that he addresses two recent proposals made by the opposition for an … Continue reading Interview of Fidel Narváez: “our struggles cannot be divided by borders” →

A significant announcement was made yesterday of a coalition of some 43 civil society organizations that includes university students, peasants, human rights activists, business sector, feminists, politicians and other movements, including the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy, which is organization that represented civil society in the National Dialogue. This manifesto represents another step in … Continue reading Blue and White National Unity Manifesto →

This interview in Sunday´s supplement to La Prensa provides inside confirmation of a number of incidents that Nicaraguans themselves noted if they watched the same events on both government and independent media. A former editor of the principal FSLN on line media- El 19 Digital –  shares his experience of seeing pro government media distort … Continue reading Carlos Mikel Espinoza: “I was an accomplice of the Ortega family” →

An important issue in the current crisis in Nicaragua is the question of what would Nicaragua look like should Ortega leave, as the opposition demands. In recent weeks some important proposals have been developed to begin to respond to this question. The following was developed by mostly student groups calling themselves “Construimos Nicaragua” and was … Continue reading “We are Building Nicaragua” Program →

Given the amount of deaths (322 according to UN and OAS Human Rights organizations), and the number of extrajudicial kidnappings and detentions- hundreds and ongoing – there are some that are asking about the effectiveness of what so far has been a mostly peaceful opposition. This piece by Silvio Prado is an important contribution to … Continue reading Nicaragua and the Trap of a Civil War →

We generally only post translations that are not available elsewhere, but realizing that some readers also value our selection of documents, we are including a couple significant ones from the English section of Confidencial, an on line magazine in Managua. There have been many denouncements of this type of treatment by the paramilitaries, so this … Continue reading Nicaraguan Neurosurgeon Reveals Torture Cases He’s Attended →

This is a statement signed by hundreds of people from the left in Spain and Europe that criticizes the left that continues to support Ortega. Open Letter to the Left from the Left Nicaragua and the responsibility of the Left Hundreds of people, including deputies from Podemos, IU and PSOE in Spain, Spanish and British … Continue reading Open Letter to the Left from the Left: Nicaragua and the responsibility of the Left →

This interview by a Spanish News Agency (EFE) has received a lot of attention in that Daniel Ortega denies all responsibility for the hundreds of deaths, claims that the only armed paramilitary groups belong to  the opposition, calls “liars” those who claim the police have fired on the population, and makes many more assertions about … Continue reading Ortega denies the repression and blames the US and Narcos for the crisis in Nicaragua →

Daniel Ortega gave this speech on August 29, 2018 for the gathering on the 51st Anniversary of the Heroic Feat of Pancasán. In the past there was no massive celebration of this anniversary. Many analysts interpreted the gathering as a response to the release that day of the report “Human Rights Violations and Abuses in … Continue reading Daniel Ortega´s speech on the commemoration of the Heroic Feat of Pancasán →

This article appeared on the nicaraguainvestiga.com website. The context is that the business sector for 11 years had been in an alliance with the Ortega government that provided them with tax breaks, macroeconomic stability and favorable business climate; in return the business sector refrained from criticizing the government. After the 40 some  deaths -mostly students … Continue reading The Land Takeovers Put Many into Checkmate, and They are Trying to Convince Pellas to Negotiate with Ortega →

This speech was given on the 40th anniversary of the taking of the National Palace . On Aug 22, 1978 the Rigoberto López Pérez Command of the Sandinista Front took Somoza´s Congress hostage and demanded the release of political prisoners and money.  At the beginning of his speech Ortega names those involved, and for those … Continue reading Speech of Daniel Ortega on the 40th Anniversary of the Taking of the National Palace, August 23, 2018 →

This is an interview done this week of Zoilamérica Ortega Murillo,  Rosario Murillo´s daughter, and Daniel Ortega´s step daughter. (She is mentioned by Pinita in the previous post). Here she compares her experience of being an abuse victim of her stepfather and the complicity of her mother, with the current experience the country is undergoing. … Continue reading “No one would like to have a murderer as the woman who gave you life” →

The following is a letter written by Pinita Gurdian, a well known member of the Christians in the Revolution movement in the 80s, in response to a letter from a Spanish priest friend. It is a witness to how she – and her family – lived their faith in response to the events of the … Continue reading Letter from a Christian in Nicaragua to a priest in Spain →

This article was published on the website nicaraguainvestiga.com on Aug 8, 2018. This young anonymous Nicaraguan addresses a debate among the international left that has come out to strongly defend Daniel Ortega in this crisis. The most well known figure in this group of leftists is Max Blumenthal, who came to Nicaragua in July and … Continue reading The left has to be re-invented, which is urgently facing new challenges in a new context →

This speech was given on the anniversary of the Navy (August 13), considered an important speech because it was given within a context of  debate over the role of the military in the current crisis. After the violent removal of the barricades, the government has been promoting an image of a  return to normalcy that would allow … Continue reading Declarations of VP Rosario Murillo on 38th Anniversary of Nicaraguan Navy →

This was published in the Costa Rican newspaper “Semanario Universidad” on August 7, 2018, located on the campus of the University of Costa Rica in San José. It provides a window into the lives of people who participated in the protests and saw themselves forced to flee the country and sought refuge in Costa Rica … Continue reading “My Head has a price in Nicaragua”, fleeing to Costa Rica to Survive. →

This message was published on the Colegio Centro America facebook page, and gives an inside view as how the crisis is affecting normal families. It is a large Jesuit run institution from Preschool to High School, seen as a feeder school to the Central American University (UCA). https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=230926940896878&id=103126253676948 Posted on facebook, August 6, 2018 Good … Continue reading Message to Parents at the Colegio Centro América →

This letter, although written on July 24, was published as a paid ad in La Prensa,  on August 2, 2018. Early on in this crisis the Commander in Chief of the Army, General Avilés, issued a press release saying that the Army would not take part in this internal conflict. The position of the Army … Continue reading Letter to the Commander in Chief of Nicaraguan Army from Prominent Nicaraguan Women →

The Central American University in Managua released this press statement yesterday July 31, 2018 announcing the suspension of most of their activities for the month of August. Nearly half of its budget in recent years, much of it used for scholarships for low income students, has come from state funding . By constitutional mandate dating … Continue reading Central American University announces SUSPENSION OF WORK FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST →

This is an opinion piece done by Guillermo Rothschuh, writer, essayist and Director of Observatorio de Medios of CINCO, published on July 20 in their digital publication, Confidencial. It addresses one of the principal problems for the future of Nicaragua, no matter how the crisis unfolds – the ongoing polarization of the country. Will We … Continue reading Will We be Able to Live Together Some Day? →

On July 23 Daniel Ortega was interviewed on Brett Baier´s Fox News Program. The full interview with its English translation can be seen here: http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/07/23/bret-baier-interviews-nicaraguan-president-daniel-ortega-special-report The interview was widely followed in Nicaragua, and it was the first interview Ortega has offered to non Sandinista media in 9 years. So it raised the question as to why … Continue reading Daniel Ortega´s interview on Fox News →

To have a full picture of the polarization in Nicaragua today it is important to compare this speech with the previous post, the interview of Daniel Ortega´s Vice President in the 1980s, Sergio Ramírez. Ortega accuses the opposition of exactly what he is being accused of. What is particularly noteworthy is his conflict with the … Continue reading Daniel Ortega´s Speech on the 39th Anniversary of the Revolution →

This is an interview of Sergio Ramírez by the Costa Rican newspaper “La Nación”. He is a well known writer throughout the Spanish speaking world, and was Daniel Ortega´s vice President in the 1980s. In 1995 he was one of the founders of the MRS (Movement for Sandinista Renovation). Sergio Ramírez: “Maybe what Daniel Ortega … Continue reading Sergio Ramírez: “Maybe what Daniel Ortega wants is to provoke a civil war” →

Many well known progressive academics and activists throughout Latin America and beyond issued the following declaration on July 17, 2018. This date is significant, because July 17 was the date that Somoza fled Nicaragua in back in 1979.  The signatures below just represent those collected by July 17th. URGENT DECLARATION FOR NICARAGUA July 17, 2018 … Continue reading URGENT DECLARATION FOR NICARAGUA →

The Catholic Bishops conference issued this pastoral letter yesterday, after pro-governmental groups attacked the barricade students had held at the UNAN, and the Catholic Church nearby where the students ran seeking refuge. Two students were killed and the heavily armed pro-governmental groups would not allow the students to receive medical treatment or be evacuated from … Continue reading Pastoral Letter from Bishops Conference of Nicaragua, July 14, 2018 →

Video today showed pro government groups who verbally and physically attacked Nicaraguan bishops who had travelled to Carazo to defend the population there where 14 people earlier were killed. The church was then vandalized by hooded and unhooded government supporters. This statement by the Coordination of Social Movements and Civil Society Organizations of Nicaragua refers … Continue reading WE CONDEMN THE NEW REPRESSIVE ESCALATION AND WE CALL FOR RESISTANCE →

This was issued by the US Treasury Department, July 5, 2018. A number of news articles appeared in the Nicaraguan press today about this designation. Treasury Sanctions Three Nicaraguan Individuals for Serious Human Rights Abuse and Corrupt Acts 22363 July 5, 2018 Designations Represent a Response to the Violence and Corruption in Nicaragua   Washington – … Continue reading Treasury Sanctions Three Nicaraguan Individuals for Serious Human Rights Abuse and Corrupt Acts →

This is a letter that retired General Humberto Ortega, founder of the Sandinista Army and brother of Pres. Daniel Ortega, wrote on July 4 to the National Dialogue. Humberto Ortega calls on his brother to break up the paramilitary groups and call for early elections Letter to the National Dialogue On June 16th, thirty days … Continue reading Letter from Humberto Ortega to the National Dialogue →

This pronouncement came out on July 2, 2018 published by the FAD (Frente Amplio por la Democracia), a coalition formed in Sept 2016 to reject what they called “the political farce of elections” scheduled for Nov 2016. It was originally composed of opposition political parties, movements, unions, youth and other sectors opposed to the government) … Continue reading Transition Junta to Save the Nation →

This interview was done of Francisca Ramírez, the most recognized leader of the Anti Canal Movement, officially known as the National Council in Defense of Our Land, Lake and Sovereignty-Peasant Movement. They are participants in the National Dialogue Francisca Ramírez: “We need to rise up with more force” “The barricades have become the national power … Continue reading Interview: Francisca Ramírez, Leader of the Peasants Movement Against the Canal →

This article appeared in an online publication based in Barcelona, but written by an Honduran writer on the left. It was written in the early days of the uprising, but it still very relevant and offers a common sense lens to analyze competing explanations for the uprising.  The original Spanish can be found here: http://kaosenlared.net/que-pasa-en-nicaragua-explicacion-desde-un-enfoque-critico-de-izquierda/  What … Continue reading What is happening in Nicaragua: Explanation from a critical leftist approach →

Dr. Humberto López ,a Nicaraguan psychiatrist,   provides an interesting scientific explanation for the sudden massive uprising in Nicaragua. It was published on social media. THE NICARAGUAN SOCIAL PHENOMENON AND MIRROR NEURONS Dr. Humberto López For everyone it is inconceivable how a civic insurrection was produced so quickly and massively in Nicaragua. The presidential couple and … Continue reading The Nicaragua Social Phenomenon and Mirror Neurons →

Monica Baltodano was part of the Chief of Staff of the FSLN in Managua at the triumph of the revolution in 1979. This interview brings out her comparisons between those times and now. Monica Baltodano: “The Attitude of the Army is a Disgrace” La Prensa, June 24, 2018 by Fabián Medina According to the Sandinista … Continue reading Interview: Monica Baltodano, translated from La Prensa, Jun 24 →

The Bishops Conference have been asked by the Govt to act as Mediators and Witnesses to the National Dialogue. This is their press release from Saturday, June 23, 2018 PRESS RELEASE JUNE 23, 2018 EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE OF NICARAGUA The Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua on this occasion wants to exalt once again the nobility of the … Continue reading Bishops Conference Press Release June 23 →

This is a translation of the Vice President and First Lady´s declaration the evening of June 16, after a terrible early morning fire took the lives of 4 adults and 2 infants. Usually the First Lady makes a daily declaration around noon, but this time she did it in the evening. That morning government media … Continue reading Govt Document: Declaration of Rosario Murillo, special night edition of Citizen Power Media, June 16 →

This is the press release  from the governmental firefighters office, 2 km away from where a fire killed 6 people, including two infants early on the morning of June 16th. Later that morning there was another session of the National Dialogue,  and the Civic Alliance participated in protest, claiming hooded para-police forces were responsible for … Continue reading Govt Document: Press release of Firefighters on June 16, 2018 →

This is an interview of student Jessica Cisneros and professor Yerling Aguilera published in digital newspaper Público from Madrid on June 20, while on a tour of European cities to talk about the situation in Nicaragua. In addition to a good summary of the period from the student perspective, it also begins to address some … Continue reading Student Interviews: Jessica Cisneros and Yerling Aguilera →

This is the Commission composed of Catholic Bishops asked by Pres. Ortega to play this role. This is their report after the first work sessions of the committees called for in the meeting of the National Dialogue on June 16th. The Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy issued their own statement here MEDIATION AND WITNESS … Continue reading MEDIATION AND WITNESS COMMISSION Press Release June 18, 2018 →

Gioconda Belli is a well known poet and writer and participated in the overthrow of the Somoza government as a Sandinista. She tells her story in the  book, “The Country Under My Skin: A Memory of Love and War” (Anchor:2003) OPEN LETTER TO ROSARIO MURILLO (translation of letter by Gioconda Belli June 17, 2018) Rosario: … Continue reading Gioconda Belli Open Letter to Rosario Murillo →

MEDIATION AND WITNESS COMMISSION National Dialogue PRESS RELEASE JUNE 16, 2018   On Saturday June 16, 2018, gathered together the Mediation and Witness Commission, composed of His Eminence Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Mons. Rolando Álvarez, Mons. Jorge Solórzano, Mons. Bosco Vivas, Mons. Silvio José Báez, with the presence of Mons. Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertang, Apostolic Nuncio in … Continue reading NATIONAL DIALOGUE MEDIATION AND WITNESS COMMISSION June 16, 2018 Press release →

The Civic Alliance is the civil society organization that is the counterpart to the Government in the National Dialogue called by the  Government. This press release came after the National Strike that was called for June 14 CIVIC ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY Press release #8 To the Dialogue for Nicaragua We thank each and … Continue reading Civic Alliance Press Release #8 of June 14, 2018 →

The Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy is the civil society body that accepted Nicaraguan Government´s invitation to Dialogue.   Press Release #9 Government Non-compliance Considering That the government once again failed to comply by not immediately issuing the invitation letters to the International Human Rights organizations: The Secretary General of the Organization of American … Continue reading Civic Alliance Press Release #9 of June 18, 2018 →

This is the translation of an interview of one of the principal student leaders, published in La Prensa, Sunday June 17, 2018 Madelaine Caracas: “They try to shut up any voice that rebels” Madelaine Caracas is in Europe denouncing the Ortega massacre. At the inauguration of the National Dialogue she read the names of those … Continue reading Student Interview: Madelaine Caracas, co founder of University Coalition for Justice and Democracy →

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS OF NICARAGUA MRE/DM-DMC/0742/06/18 TO THE INTERAMERICAN COMMISSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS The Government of the Republic of Nicaragua expresses its most energetic rejection of the press release issued by the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of June 13, 2018, for being slanted, partial and lacking in objectivity, in pointing to the … Continue reading Govt Doc: Ministry of Foreign Relations Rejects IACHR press release of June 13 →

When the President Daniel Ortega called for a National Dialogue to deal with the crisis, he asked the Bishops to be mediators and witnesses to the dialogue. These are the translations of the documents that they have produced, with the most recent at the top: NATIONAL DIALOGUE MEDIATION AND WITNESS COMMISSION PRESS RELEASE JUNE 15, 2018 … Continue reading National Dialogue Mediation and Witness Commission Press Releases →

This is a translation of an interview of Fr. José Alberto Idiáquez, S.J. the President of the Central American University in Managua published in El País, a Spanish newspaper based in Madrid, written by Carlos Salinas on June 15, 2018. Fr. Idiáquez is a participant in the National Dialogue, and has received death threats from … Continue reading Interview of Fr. José Idiáquez, President of the UCA, El País →

The massive protests have been led by university students, who also are key players in the National Dialogue. This is an interview of one of those student leaders Víctor Cuadras: “It is unacceptable that Ortega try to stay in power” University leader states that moving up the elections is with Ortega out of power Translation … Continue reading Student Interview: Víctor Cuadras: “It is unacceptable that Ortega try to stay in power” →

TRANSLATION OF FACEBOOK POSTING OF OSCAR RENE VARGAS[1] JUNE 12, 2018 Oscar René Vargas Escobar Nicaragua: the end of Ortega Murillo / Oscar-René Vargas / June 12, 2018 Uniformed police, sharpshooters, para-police forces close to the Ortega-Murillo government shoot at close range at disarmed people. The para-police forces are applying state terrorism mechanisms against unarmed … Continue reading TRANSLATION OF FACEBOOK POSTING OF OSCAR RENE VARGAS JUNE 12, 2018 →

Managua, April 24, 2018 Your Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes Bishops of the Bishops Conference of Nicaragua Your Eminence and Excellencies: We have received your message to the Nicaraguan people with a lot of recognition and respect, expressing your decision to accompany the Dialogue Process that we are installing in our country, to take … Continue reading Govt Document: Letters from Daniel Ortega to Bishops Conference re National Dialogue →