Nicaragua unrest

This item appears on page 18 of the September 2018 issue.

Violent antigovernment protests in Nicaragua, ongoing since April 18, had killed up to 300 people as of press time.

The city of Masaya, south of the capital, has seen the heaviest fighting, between antigovernment groups entrenched in the city and armed forces assisted by pro-government militias.

Protests began when Nicaragua's president suggested introducing pension reforms that would have reduced incomes in the nation. He later backtracked on the reforms, but, by then, protests had become more broadly antigovernment and continued.