Rights groups say at least 320 people have been killed in a brutal government crackdown launched in response to the escalation of street protests. The government recently stripped nine civil society groups of their legal standing and seized their assets. When the protests erupted in April, “the civil society had awakened. But the government has said the protests amounted to a “soft coup” supported by its opponents, including those in civil society and the media. On Dec. 20, U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a measure aimed at blocking new loans to Nicaragua by international financial institutions.

Source: thestar January 03, 2019 01:41 UTC