Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega on paramilitary groups attacking protesters: At night, when there are no peaceful demonstrations, we've had clashes provoked by the paramilitary forces, organized by people that are against the government. #SpecialReport pic.twitter.com/OeHzQOuewD— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 23, 2018
Miami Herald: Nicaragua in ‘undeclared state of siege’ as hooded gunmen rule the streets
Managua, Nicaragua: They ride in the back of Toyota double-cabin pickup trucks, assault rifles slung over their shoulders. No one knows their identities. They always wear black ski masks or hoods.
The gunmen — between 1,000 and 1,500 of them, according to some estimates — are part of a recently formed paramilitary force protecting the continued rule of President Daniel Ortega against a three-month-old civilian uprising. Their main tactic is terror. They conduct roundups, fire at protesters, carry out dark-of-night raids and menace the population.
The Pro-Human Rights Association of Nicaragua said Thursday that paramilitary forces have conducted 595 “kidnappings” and disappearances of citizens since the uprising began April 18. The group said it has tallied 97 killings since July 11.
“Today in Nicaragua, there exists an undeclared state of siege,” Alvaro Leiva, executive director of the rights group, said at a news conference.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: It has been 100 days since the uprising began .... It’s been 100 days since Nicaragua’s heroic uprising started (Tico Times), and the death toll now stands at 448 .... Rights group updates death toll in Nicaragua unrest to 448 (AP).
