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News > Nicaragua

Nicaragua Honors Police Killed During US-backed Protests

  • Police officers attend ceremony for their fallen colleagues

    Police officers attend ceremony for their fallen colleagues | Photo: El19Digital

Published 13 June 2019
Opinion

"Thanks to the sacrifice of our 22 fallen brothers and sisters in defense of Nicaragua’s families, we have peace, stability and security ... for all"

The National Police of Nicaragua’s Sandinista government held a ceremony Wednesday to honor the 22 police officers killed by right-wing protesters during the failed coup d’etat against President Daniel Ortega one year ago. Activists also paid tribute to two Sandinista supporters who were murdered during the same period.

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Nicaragua Approves Amnesty Law To Bring Peace

The ceremony was held in the nation's capital of Managua by senior National Police members and attended by the friends and families of the police officers who were killed during the violent coup attempt by armed right-wing groups backed by the United States.

Also Wednesday, the city of Jinotepe paid tribute to Marcos Gutierrez and Guillermo Mendez, two Sandinista activists, at the one year anniversary of their murder at the hands of the anti-government protesters.

In Managua, Police Commissioner General Aldo Saenz Ulloa said at the ceremony: "Thanks to the sacrifice of our 22 fallen brothers and sisters in defense of the well-being of Nicaragua’s families, we have peace, stability and security that we will carry forward to rebuild wellbeing (in Nicaragua) for all".

Jinotepe Mayor Mariano Madrigal spoke at the city's gathering, saying “Nicaragua will never forget the spirit of hate that was inculcated in the population when terrorist and coup elements kidnapped, tortured and assassinated citizens here.”

Violence broke out in Nicaragua during May and June of 2018 when right-wing oppositionists launched a bid to overthrow the leftist Sandinista administration lead by Ortega. The opposition in Nicaragua have been recipients of funds and training from the U.S. government.

Right-wing elements also burned the leftist Radio Ya! Community radio station during the protests, and kidnapped and torturtured elderly Sandinista supporter Bismarck Martinez, whose remains were recently found after a year long search.

The Amnesty Law was approved this week by the Nicaraguan National Assembly that grants a one-off amnesty for those involved in clashes on the condition that perpetrators do not reoffend. The government hopes this law will bring peace and reconciliation to the nation.   

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