U.S. orders non-emergency government personnel to leave Nicaragua

[Devil Child]

Source: CBS

The U.S. government on Friday ordered non-emergency government personnel to leave Nicaragua and advised travelers to reconsider going to the country. A State Department travel advisory that was updated Friday said U.S. government personnel in the country must stay in their homes and "avoid unnecessary travel between sundown and sunrise."

Nicaragua has been rocked by protests and a violent crackdown by authorities since April, when demonstrations began demanding President Daniel Ortega's exit from office. Ortega's government has likened such demands to an attempted coup. A report last month from a team of independent investigators said at least 212 people have been killed in clashes.

snip...

The U.S. State Department says heavily armed, government-controlled paramilitary forces operate in areas of the country including in its capital, Managua. "These groups are attacking blockades, kidnapping and detaining individuals, taking over privately owned land, and committing other crimes," says the travel advisory.

"Rallies and demonstrations are widespread and occur daily with little notice," it says. "Government-controlled forces have attacked peaceful demonstrators leading to significant numbers of deaths and injuries. Looting, vandalism, and acts of arson often occur during unrest, including in tourist areas. Government authorities detain protesters, and some people have disappeared. Human rights groups have documented credible claims of torture of detainees."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nicaragua-us-advisory-today-non-emergency-government-personnel-to-leave-2018-07-06/

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Nicaragua, per the State Department, is too risky for non-emergency US personnel but still "safe enough" to rescind protected status for current and future Nicaraguan refugee applicants by January 2019. Just another day of conflicting messages from the Trump occupied White House.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

1. Trust and believe

dt is watching "how to do it", very closely.

[jpak]

2. To War!!!111

[Devil Child]

3. Who first for Trump's "Granada"

Nicaragua, Venezuala, Bolivia? He has so many choices...

[underpants]

4. So they should journey to a safe place like the USA?

The irony is thick.

[Devil Child]

5. But don't forget to leave the kids behind

Because you will never see them again if you do

[underpants]

6. +++

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Lots of American ex-pats there too.

[elmac]

8. sounds like the CIA is up to its old tricks again. nt

[kentuck]

9. Why don't they have an election and throw him out...

...if he is not wanted?

It does not sound good...

[Yupster]

10. Ortega is quite the interesting leader

He led the Sandinistas in the overthrow against Somoza in 1979. Then he was the rare Marxist-Leninist who allowed free elections which he won in 1984. Then he lost his reelection in 1990.

Out of office, he claimed he was no longer a Marxist but was now a Democratic-Socialist and was elected again in 2006. He was reelected in 2011 and 2016. In order to run a third and fourth time, the country's Constitution was changed to eliminate term limits. In the most recent election the main opposition leader was banned from running. Ortega's wife is the vice-president. His family owns the main tv stations in the country.

The Nicaraguan economy is in terrible trouble as corruption, is seen as omnipresent. Things are much worse since the death of Ortega's main ally, Hugo Chavez and the subsequent death spiral of the Venezuelan economy.

Some of these revolutionary guys are real survivors. He may be president for the next 30 years.