As Nicaragua Grinds to a Halt, Students call “Peaceful Rebellion”

HAVANA TIMES – The university students leading the protests in Nicaragua called today for a “giant peaceful rebellion” in the country to press for the departure of Daniel Ortega’s government, one month after the start of the conflict, reported dpa news.

“Ortega and Murillo have made it clear that they have no intention of leaving the presidency. However the people are shouting ‘enough is enough,’” said the April 19th Movement in a statement on Thursday.

The second meeting of the national dialogue is scheduled for Friday, May 18th. The first round on Wednesday was considered a disappointment by student, rural, academic and some business sectors.

The students, who participate in the dialogue with the Government together with the private sector and civil society, asked the population to restrict circulation in the country for 24 hours as of today.

“We summon the people of Nicaragua to a gigantic peaceful rebellion, to put pressure on all the institutional and business sectors, so that once and for all they adopt a dignified position in which they look out for the good of their own people,” the statement said. .

The students asked the population to “seize the streets with barricades in all neighborhoods, communities, municipalities and departments of the country, starting 4:00 p.m. local time (22:00 GMT).”

They also urged the peasant movement and the population of the interior “to completely close passage at the barricades (roadblocks) at the borders and main roads, preventing access and circulation in the country, and with emphasis on [shutting down] the city of Managua during 24 hours.”

Likewise, they asked the population to stop buying fuel at two gas station chains linked to the Ortega family, as well as to stop paying taxes and payment of financial debts to state institutions.

“This is the first wave of peaceful rebellion by the people of Nicaragua,” the students warned.

The statement was issued a day after the installation of a national dialogue, in which university leaders urged Ortega to resign from his post and clearly “cease the repression” of the police against civilian demonstrators. Ortega did not accede to those demands.

The crisis began on April 17 with a student protest against a reform of Social Security, which increased the quotas of companies and workers, and deepened greatly as a result of the deadly action of police and paramilitaries against unarmed demonstrators.