A Month of Anti-Government Protest in Nicaragua

Widespread protests against Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's government, which began on April 18, have devolved into deadly violence several times. A march organized yesterday, on Nicaragua’s Mother’s Day, took place to commemorate those mothers who had lost their children during the ongoing demonstrations. Reuters reports that “witnesses said pro-government armed groups opened fire on the marchers,” and that 11 people were killed across the country—making it the bloodiest day in more than a month of protest, which has now seen more than 80 deaths. What began in April as a reaction to Ortega’s attempts to change the national social-security system has now become a broad, student-led call for Ortega and his wife to step down and for new elections to be held. Neither side appears to be backing down. Anti-government protesters are hoping to build momentum, and government crackdowns on demonstrations are increasing, as Nicaraguans continue to take to the streets to decide their future.

Read more
Hints: View this page full screen. Skip to the next and previous photo by typing j/k or ←/→.

Most Recent

  • Robert F. Bukaty / AP
    • In Focus
    • Aug 17, 2018
    • 35 Photos

    Photos of the Week: Sun Biter, Solar Probe, Belgian Bovines

    Flowers carpet Brussels, a farewell is bid to Aretha Franklin, abandoned share bikes find homes in Germany, a cardboard Viking church collapses in Liverpool, a bridge collapses in Italy, and much more.

  • Walter Iooss. Jr. / Getty
    • In Focus
    • Aug 16, 2018
    • 22 Photos

    Photos: The Queen of Soul's Amazing Career

    A collection of images of Aretha Franklin’s incredible life of performance, spanning the past five decades.

  • Fiona Goodall / Getty for Lumix
    • In Focus
    • Aug 15, 2018
    • 24 Photos

    A Visit to Tuvalu, Surrounded by the Rising Pacific

    Fiona Goodall, a photographer working with Getty Images, recently visited the tiny South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, a country battling rising sea levels with limited resources.

  • Peter Morgan / Reuters
    • In Focus
    • Aug 13, 2018
    • 30 Photos

    Photos: 15 Years Since the 2003 Northeast Blackout

    On August 14, 2003, more than 50 million people across eight U.S. states and parts of Canada were left without power for days in the most widespread blackout in North American history.

Most Popular on The Atlantic

  1. Trump’s Implicit Defense of Alex Jones Is an Echo of Birtherism
  2. The Nastiest Feud in Science
  3. This Is Anxiety
  4. An Admiral Speaks Out
  5. What If a Female CEO Acted Like Elon Musk?
  6. Remember When You Could Call the Time?
  7. The Cognitive Biases Tricking Your Brain
  8. How to Make Friends, According to Science
  9. Dude, She’s (Exactly 25 Percent) Out of Your League
  10. Can Britain Deal With ‘No Deal’?
Back to Top