April 23 – Masses of students, retirees and other workers took to the streets of Managua, Nicaragua on April 18 to protest cuts in social security. Their numbers swelled after government troops killed at least 27 protesters. Today demonstrations rocked the capital, leading to the evacuation of the US embassy. President Ortega had to scrap the cuts.
In Nicaragua, as in South Africa, El Salvador and elsewhere, socialists and former guerrilla fighters became the new capitalist bosses. Business groups helped organize today’s protest, although they have generally allied with Ortega. Clearly, they want to prevent mass anger at Ortega’s socialist government from taking a radical turn towards communism,.
Nicaragua has a tremendous potential – and an urgent need – for communist mobilization. We ask Red Flag readers with family and friends in Nicaragua to do as much as possible to spread this paper there and everywhere.
“Damn the soldier who turns his guns on his people! We don’t want more deaths! Long live the students!”