OrMu and Alianza Negotiators Exchange Statements

March 31, 2019

Nicaragua

Saturday’s “Sentada Nacional”, the national sit in organized by Unidad Nacional Azul y Blanco, devolved into chaos and violence at Metrocentro. First, riot police forcefully removed and arrested 7 protesters. Then, an armed man opened fire on the crowd.

Both the Alianza and Ortega-Murillo sides have issued statements on the matter. What follows is a translation of both statements, in the order they were issued. These translations are my own, and I offer them without comment. Grammar will be amended as needed for clarity.

Statement by the Alianza Cívica (March 30)

We condemn the renewed repression of the people and demand compliance with the agreements.

Today, the police of the Ortega-Murillo regime violated the agreement titled Strengthening Citizen Rights and Guarantees”, which was signed yesterday, March 29, by representatives of the Government and the Alianza Cívica. In this agreement, item 7 specifies “respect to the right to peaceful assembly, as long as it does not interfere with free circulation of persons and vehicles.”

Today, citizens exercising their rights held a peaceful assembly inside of Metrocentro (Managua). The police deployed and harassed, repressed, and apprehended citizens for exercising their rights. As part of this repression, a member of the ruling party shot at peaceful protesters, wounding at least three people. Likewise, peaceful protesters were victims of aggression and intimidation by sympathizers of the ruling party in Galerías [a shopping mall in Managua].

The Ortega and Murillo regime have place the development of the negotiations, and the search for peace and constitutional solutions, in peril again. The regime puts the citizenry in danger by not complying with its obligation to recognize and protect he rights of Nicaraguans.

We denounce and condemn this new repression and the risk that the regime has imposed over a peaceful and democratic solution to the socio-political crisis that Nicaragua has been experiencing since April of 2018. [This crisis] has caused over 500 deaths, over 700 political prisoners, tens of thousands of exiles, and economic bankruptcy.

We demand that the regime and its delegate comply with the agreements and give real signs of their willingness to solve the crisis.

 

Statement from the Delegation of the Government of Reconciliation and National Unity (GRUN) to the Negotiations for Understanding and Peace (March 31)

The GRUN delegation to the Negotiation towards a National Agreement to guarantee the peaceful resolution of conflicts and continuation of work towards peaceful coexistence in Nicaragua declare to our people and to the international community our condemnation for the actors of delinquency and violence staged during the past three Saturdays, particularly those of yesterday, Saturday March 30.

Since [March 16], at a well-known, private shopping mall in Managua, a group of violent people, hooded and dressed to ensure media exposure, threaten our people with the rejected and painful barricades, and with similar acts of vandalism and terrorism. These citizens and their media apparatus have forcefully occupied a private shopping mall on Saturday afternoons, dedicating themselves to insult, terrorize, scandalize, and physically assault the people who visit these private spaces of commerce and recreation along with their families.

In an attempt to replicate the tragic events we lived through last year, which were condemned by most Nicaraguans, these violent individuals, among whom there are members of the so-called Alianza Cívica, who are part of the negotiations, engaged boastingly in offensive discourses and attitudes of hatred and discrimination, as well as rejection of the progress made through the agreements at the negotiating table.

The GRUN delegation […] demands coherence and consistency from the Alianza Cívica, in the supreme interest of Nicaraguan families that want and deserve peace.

We call upon them to leave those periods of terrorism, destruction of life, homes, public and private goods, of our economy, of the right to work, and to a dignified life for the whole people. We demand coherence and firmness, which was indispensible to continue forward.

The GRUN Delegation reiterates to all families and communities of our Nicaragua that peace is the way. It is the supreme mandate, and with higher sense of common good, we are totally dedicated to keeping our commitments to our people.

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