- Title: Pro-government supporters march in Nicaragua in defence of Ortega
- Date: 16th August 2018
- Summary: MANAGUA, NICARAGUA (AUGUST 15, 2018) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF PRO-GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS GATHERED PRO-GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS MARCHING SUPPORTERS GIVING PEACE SIGN SUPPORTERS MARCHING, FLAGS FROM SANDINISTA GOVERNMENT MOVEMENT AMONGST CROWD (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRO-GOVERNMENT SUPPORTER, ALI GONZALEZ, SAYING: "It's worth it, supporters of the Sandinista Front are marching, s
- Embargoed: 30th August 2018 01:23
- Keywords: Sandinistas pro-government march protesters Managua Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega
- Location: MANAGUA, NICARAGUA
- City: MANAGUA, NICARAGUA
- Country: Nicaragua
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA0018TAUMO3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Thousands of supporters of President Daniel Ortega marched on the capital of Managua on Wednesday (August 15) in defence of the government, as the Central American nation struggles with civil unrest that has killed hundreds.
After months of protest, the Central American country is suffering one of the worst political crises of its history. Proposed cuts to the pension system announced in the spring triggered months of protests against Ortega, a former guerrilla leader whom critics accuse of tampering with elections and seeking to install a "family dictatorship."
But his supporters, popularly known as Sandinistas, accuse the government's critics of being part of a foreign-backed coup to unseat Ortega and lambasting them as "terrorists".
Ortega has faced growing international condemnation for heavy-handed deployment of police and armed pro-government civilians to squash the unrest, which led to about 300 deaths.
But government supporters say a number of their own have been amongst the dead and injured. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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