SIGN UP FOR OUR A new report released today by the non-governmental organization, Nicaraguan Pro Human Rights Association (ANPDH in Spanish), confirms that the total number of victims that the conflict in this country has left since April 18 is 285, while 2500 have been injured, 156 are missing and 42 are permanently disabled; the report also details that among those who lost their live are 20 minors, 1 journalist and 20 police agents.
The majority of the deaths are focused around the capital city of Managua, accounting for 145 deaths, followed by Masaya with 35 and Leon with 20 while the rest are distributed in different cities.
The ANPDH report is over 50 pages and assures that that the Government has used “combined forces” to carry out “illicit and unpunished acts” such as “tortures and selective murders” among others.
The Nicaraguan Catholic church urged President Daniel Ortega to hold early elections to facilitate dialogue, however, the Government has not attended or has shown any intention of attending this demand.
In the meantime, violence in the streets continues, and in addition to the loss of many lives, the country’s economy is also being severely affected. Roadblocks have affected commerce and the tourism industry has seen the effects in the number of visitors during the past months.
According to data by the International Airport Administrating Company (EAAI in Spanish), during the month of May 2018 only 34,400 visitors arrived to Nicaragua, in contrast to the 55,094 international travelers registered during this month last year, which represents a decrease of 37.56%. This has been reflected in the tourism business in general, several hotels and restaurants have already announced the suspension or closure of their operations and with this more unemployment affects the citizens.
The Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE) also confirmed that as a result of the tough situation in Nicaragua they have decided to move their MBA program, which were scheduled to begin in August, to the Costa Rican campus in order to avoid risks for their students. In the release INCAE explains the campus in Nicaragua will continue to run all administrative operations, but their programs will all be moved to Costa Rica.
