Widespread protests against Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's government, which began on April 18, have devolved into deadly violence several times. A march organized yesterday, on Nicaragua’s Mother’s Day, took place to commemorate those mothers who had lost their children during the ongoing demonstrations. Reuters reports that “witnesses said pro-government armed groups opened fire on the marchers,” and that 11 people were killed across the country—making it the bloodiest day in more than a month of protest, which has now seen more than 80 deaths. What began in April as a reaction to Ortega’s attempts to change the national social-security system has now become a broad, student-led call for Ortega and his wife to step down and for new elections to be held. Neither side appears to be backing down. Anti-government protesters are hoping to build momentum, and government crackdowns on demonstrations are increasing, as Nicaraguans continue to take to the streets to decide their future.
A Month of Anti-Government Protest in Nicaragua
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Read moreDemonstrators fire homemade mortars during a protest against Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's government in Managua, Nicaragua, on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreDemonstrators protesting government repression wave Nicaraguan flags in Managua, Nicaragua, on May 9, 2018. Nicaraguans took to the the streets in one of the largest protest marches so far, demonstrating against the government of President Daniel Ortega. #
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Read moreBoys pose with homemade mortars during a protest by anti-government demonstrators, demanding the departure of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, in Managua, on May 26, 2018. #
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Read moreDemonstrators fly Nicaraguan flags atop the Alexis Arguello monument during a march against President Daniel Ortega in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreNuns pray prior to a second day of national dialogue in Managua on May 18, 2018. The government, the church, and other civil actors were seeking a resolution to the country's ongoing political crisis. #
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Read morePresident Daniel Ortega speaks at the opening of a national dialogue in Managua on May 16, 2018. Ortega sat down to formally talk with opposition and civic groups for the first time since he returned to power in 2007. #
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Read moreStudent representative Lesther Aleman interrupts President Ortega, shouting that he must halt the repression, during the opening of the national dialogue. "Order it now, in this moment. The repression of the police, of the paramilitary forces, of your party's gangs that have been massacring and killing.... In less than a month you've ruined the country; Somoza took years," Aleman said, alluding to dictator Anastasio Somoza, whose government was toppled by the Sandinista rebels in 1979. #
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Read moreAnti-government demonstrators try to bring down a "Tree of Life" metal sculpture erected across Managua as part of a city beautification plan by Vice President and First Lady Rosario Murillo, during a protest demanding the ouster of President Ortega and Murillo on May 26, 2018. #
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Read morePeople collect cables and other parts from a toppled Tree of Life sculpture during a protest in Managua on May 26, 2018. #
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Read moreA demonstrator stands next to graffiti that reads "Ortega Out" during a protest march in Managua on May 26, 2018. #
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Read moreThis aerial view shows thousands of demonstrators marching against President Ortega in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreDemonstrators set up a barricade while resuming protests after peace talks between the government and opposition collapsed, in Leon, some 100 kilometers from Managua on May 24, 2018. #
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Read moreAnti-government demonstrators take cover behind a barricade after gunfire erupted during a march against President Ortega in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreA masked demonstrator wearing a slingshot takes part in mounting a roadblock in Leon, Nicaragua, on May 24, 2018. #
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Read moreA man fires a homemade mortar after clashes erupted during a march against President Ortega in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreRiot police clash with protesting engineering students in Managua on May 28, 2018. #
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Read moreA demonstrator takes part in a protest march against Ortega's government in Managua on May 26, 2018. #
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Read moreRiot police clash with university engineering students during a protest in Managua on May 28, 2018. #
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Read moreA demonstrator fires a homemade mortar at police during an anti-government protest in Managua on May 28, 2018. #
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Read moreA riot-police officer fires his shotgun towards university students participating in an anti-government protest in Managua on May 28, 2018. #
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Read moreRiot-police officers detain a demonstrator in Managua on May 28, 2018. #
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Read moreA police officer aims his shotgun at two men riding a motorcycle during a protest against President Daniel Ortega in Managua on May 28, 2018. #
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Read moreA dog wears a mask during a protest in Masaya, Nicaragua, on May 28, 2018. #
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Read moreSupporters of President Daniel Ortega take part in a pro-government rally on Nicaragua's national Mothers Day at the Rotonda Hugo Chavez in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreA supporter of President Ortega takes part in a pro-FSLN (Sandinista National Liberation Front) government rally on Nicaragua's national Mothers Day at the Rotonda Hugo Chavez in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreA supporter of President Daniel Ortega holds a homemade mortar during a pro-government rally at the Rotonda Hugo Chavez in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreA demonstrator carries a Nicaraguan flag during a march against President Ortega in Managua on May 30, 2018. The mural in the background reads in Spanish, "A country without democracy, my flag is on its head!" #
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Read moreUniversity students take part in a march against President Ortega in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreTens of thousands march against Nicaraguan President Ortega in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreDemonstrators carry pictures of those killed during the ongoing clashes during an anti-government march in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreDemonstrators stand behind a barricade during clashes with riot police during a protest in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreDemonstrators take cover from bullets during an anti-government protest in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreA masked demonstrator hands the blood-stained shoe of a wounded comrade to a friend as the other gets medical attention during a march against President Ortega in Managua on May, 30, 2018. #
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Read moreA man who was shot and wounded is loaded into the back of a pickup truck to get medical attention during a protest in Managua on May, 30, 2018. #
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Read moreDemonstrators help an injured protester during clashes with riot police in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreA wounded demonstrator, hit by gunfire, is evacuated on a motorcycle after clashes erupted during a march in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreThe body of a demonstrator, killed after being shot in the head, is carried by paramedics after clashes erupted during a march against President Ortega in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreA demonstrator walks past a burning car among clashes with riot police during a protest in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreDemonstrators burn the Sandinista radio station during clashes with riot police in Managua on May 30, 2018. #
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Read moreAn anti-government demonstrator wearing a clown mask stands in front of burning Sandinista radio station during clashes with riot police in Managua, Nicaragua, on May 30, 2018. #
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