Thread by @LifeWLemons

An informational thread on the events currently happening in Nicaragua to inform English speakers and countries overseas. Twitter do your thing and spread the news. Don’t let them silence us.

#SOSNicaragua #Nicaragua #NicaraguaSOS

Nicaragua is practically under a dictatorship by the FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional), and the current president has been in power since 2007 (he was also previously in power from 1979 to 1990). Despite this we still continued to be a country with many liberties.

However during the past weeks, things have changed due to a massive fire that burned up an important biological reserve.
The gov. was clearing land at the time to build roads and it’s not hard to guess the wildfire was caused by their own loss of control. They denied this claim

The government refused the help to tame the fires offered by Costa Rica and as a result, the young people of Nicaragua started protesting.

In addition, this week the government announced a reform in social security INSS that meant a 5% deduction in pensions for those disabled, widowed or in retirement, and that private businesses must pay 18% to 22% and so on

With this reform on top of the wildfires, Nicaragua exploded into protests on social media and formed strikes.
On Wednesday, there were marches by the young people of Nicaragua, primarily university students, as well as the elderly and adults who were protesting the reform.

The Juventud Sandinista (Sandinista Youth), a group in support of the government, made themselves present in all the areas of the march and began to hurt the crowd (with crude weapons like sticks, pipes and rocks), rob and destroy journalist’s cameras, as well as take people away

This was a PEACEFUL protest, turned violent by the Juventud Sandinista who injured the elderly and the young. The national police was present and did nothing to help the people, instead supported the Sandinistas.

There were people trapped in stores and buildings, including a University that was providing refuge for those affected. They later burst into the University and continued with the violence, this time wielding weapons like tear gas bombs and BB guns.

Yesterday, the government moved students who lived in public University dorms and forced them against their will to take part in the marchs favoring the government and using violent actions to get into universities, trapping students, hurting them and destroying the facilities.

If they refuse, they're threatened. They're also prohibiting hospitals from deploy ambulances and refusing medical services to those protesting against them.

More information on the social security INSS

University students, public and private alike, are rising up in protest against the reforms while police, and the Juventud Sandinista are suppressing them with rubber bullets, tear gas and more. A young man lost his eye and many were injured.

Despite this, more towns and cities are hoping the protests, people coming out on the streets to express their want for change.

National channels have stopped broadcasting, there is no news and false information ie being spread. A student who posted about these happenings on Facebook had her door knocked on and threatened to stop spreading ‘misinformation’. Not enough noise is being made about this.

Later in the evening yesterday, the government stopped using rubber bullets and started using real ones. Several shots were fired outside of a university, but it is impossible to tell the casualties at this stage of chaos and low communication.

Today was the day planned for the greater part of the protests and demonstrations. Many are still planning to follow through and are refusing to be silenced by the fear that has been spreading through the country

Vice President, also the President’s wife, spoke on national tv and basically said that it was the people’s fault for being aggressive, and that we are lying and spreading misinformation. She called us a “minority”and said that the people are sinners and deserve divine punishment

Only the deaths of two officials and one Sandinista were confirmed, disregarding the fact that there are many more injured and dead. They promise to take action to punish the people.
This feels unreal.

For more current updates, one of my best friends is a university student currently in Managua and is continually sharing news on her account @fromvictonn

twitter.com/i/moments/9875…