Dozens of Nicaraguans who live in Costa Rica took to the streets of downtown San Jose on Sunday to demonstrate peacefully against the government of Daniel Ortega.
With slogans and chants, Nicaraguans marched down Avenida 2, from the Parque Central to the Plaza de la Democracia.
The protests in Nicaragua that began on April 18 were against reforms promoted by the government, mainly increases to pension contributions and reduced benefits.
Despite the government’s quick withdrawal of the reforms, it could be said it was the straw that broke the camel’s back, unleashing an anti-government sentiment and calling for Ortega and his wife and vice-president, Rosario Murillo, to step down.
Catholic Church led mediation and sponsored National Dialogue was to offer the government and people of Nicaragua a solution to the crisis. The talks failed. A meeting by the Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua and President Ortega was held last Thursday, in the hopes of reviving the talks.
Ortega said he needed to two days before he would give a response.
Nicaraguans are still waiting.
In the meantime, the violent protests in that country escalated over the weekend. The death toll as of this morning is 139 and more than a thousand injured since the clashed began almost two months ago
Unlike the situation in Nicaragua, the march in San Jose on Sunday was uneventful.
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