Nicaragua scraps reform behind deadly protests

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Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega on Sunday agreed to scrap a highly-controversial pension reform that sparked four days of violence which left 24 people dead.

After days of clashes between protesters and security forces, the worst of his 11-year presidency, Ortega said he was revoking the reform during talks with business leaders.

The Nicaraguan Institute for Social Security (INSS) has decided to revoke "the resolution of April 16, which acted as a trigger that started this whole situation," he told them while denouncing the protesters for acting like criminal gangs.

A riot policeman fires rubber bullets during clashes with university students protesting over a controversial reform to pension plans in Managua. /AFP Photo

The contentious reform would have increased both employer and employee contributions and reduced benefits in a bid to tamp down on a climbing deficit. Effectively, it would have decreased the overall pension amount by five percent.

The reform unleashed a wave of unrest which erupted on Wednesday, with students playing a major role.

Ortega ordered a robust response which saw the army deployed to the streets, independent media muzzled, journalists assaulted and pro-government demonstrators mobilized to counter the protests.

The European Union and the US have expressed concern toward the situation.

A riot policeman lies injured during clashes with university students protesting over a controversial reform to the pension plans of the Nicaraguan Social Security Institute (INSS) in Managua, Nicaragua, April 20, 2018. /AFP Photo‍

According to a toll compiled by the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, at least 24 people have been killed since Wednesday, although its director, Vilma Nunez, warned that there was "a lot of misinformation" which made obtaining the figure difficult.

On Saturday, a local journalist, Miguel Angel Gahona, was shot dead in Bluefields, a city on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast, with some local media reports blaming a police sniper.

Parts of the capital were strewn with rubble after the clashes, and looting was in evidence at stores in Managua. In some locations, armed store owners stood guard outside their premises to stop mobs from entering.

Ortega had tough words for the demonstrators, accusing them of acting like gangs who were "killing each other."

"We must reestablish order, we will not allow chaos, crime and looting to reign," he told business leaders, who had also opposed the reforms.

Source(s): AFP