From the Associated Press:
Nicaragua’s government says it is willing to negotiate over controversial social security reforms that have prompted protests and deadly clashes this week.
Vice President, first lady and government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo says nine people have been killed in the unrest. She calls the protests “cruel.”
Dozens of others have been injured or arrested in the chaos in various cities across the Central American nation. ...Update: Now more than 25 dead.
A big question is who is committing the violence, which is not indicated in either article. I have read elsewhere that it is from right-wing anti-gov't groups using the protests as excuses to attack the Nicaraguan gov't. It was COSEP, representing big business, which pulled out of talks on changes to social security because in their view the gov't and unions would not agree to larger cuts. So the gov't implemented the smaller cuts unilaterally. Anyway, I don't know all the facts, but I think it is more complicated than the press (and the US gov't, which doesn't like the Nicaraguan gov't) is making it seem.
ReplyDelete