Environmental Disaster and the Nicaraguan Political Crisis
By Gem Gifford, International Director“Patria libre para vivir!” Free homeland to live! people shouted in mass protests this April as the song "Que vivan los estudiantes," Long live the students! is heard again and again, in honor of the university students who have been the protagonists of the uprising in Nicaragua. Many of them have lost their lives in the last six months. Peaceful protests were triggered due the approval of the reform of the social security system by the Executive of the Nicaraguan Institute of Social Security (INSS) on April 16, 2018, however, a general disapproval of the government has been simmering for years.
Days before the INSS reform, young leaders called to the Nicaraguan government to demand their efficient response in the face of the environmental crisis that the country was suffering as a result of a large forest fire in the Indio Maíz Natural Reserve. On April 18, youth and elderly people gathered to protest in the cities of León and Managua, rejecting the INSS reform; that day they were also repressed and attacked by police special forces and shock forces. April 19 was inscribed in the country's historical memory when the first killed students were reported.From April 19th to the present day, the population has manifested itself in different ways claiming their right to protest peacefully and condemning the repression at the hands of police forces and irregular groups. Sadly, violence from the state has escalated, taking the lives of more than 300 people and leaving more than a thousand injured according to human rights organizations.
As part of the protests, the locals and peasants built barricades and traffic blockades in almost every city of the country as a protection strategy for their neighborhoods, cities and communities, but also to exert pressure through a staggered national stoppage. Those blockades were forcibly removed in July, bringing the country to a somewhat more “stable” place, however, the crisis continues to generate substantial losses in the country's economy, with over 200,000 Nicaraguans unemployed since April.The most affected people by the current reality in Nicaragua are those who depend on commerce, tourism and services, including small and medium producers in the agricultural sector that leads the country's economic activities.The operations of many companies and NGOs in Nicaragua have been affected, and have had to resort to staff cuts in order to survive, causing unemployment and affecting primarily low and middle-income people. This scenario has political, social, environmental and economic threats, positioning Nicaragua into a period of complex vulnerability, yet also into a time of hope by a population that is fighting for a promising future.
As it happened in the 80's during the revolution, Nicaragua has international attention from many human rights and media organizations. Nevertheless, it remains necessary to increase awareness and consciousness about the situation in Nicaragua to extend solidarity and humanitarian aid, as well as international cooperation with civil society.TWP will keep our projects and partnerships strong in Nicaragua despite the new reality faced by our partners and beneficiaries, and we aim to continue the efforts that have enabled Nicaraguans to manage a better future for themselves. We thank our followers and supporters for staying up to date with us over the last six months.