Violeta Martínez hasn’t slept through for weeks. She is too busy to post messages on Facebook every few minutes – even in middle of night. Some of ir messages are supposed to make hopes for an end to violence. Most of times, however, are attacks, deaths and casualties. The 31-year-old lives in Managua, capital city of Nicaragua. She worked as a journalist until four weeks ago. But since thousands of people have been demonstrating against government, re is chaos. Roads are blocked, markets and residential buildings are lit. Police and paramilitary gangs are shooting at demonstrators. Sixty people have already been killed.
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The violence has also changed Martínez. Instead of reporting neutrally, as she did in past as a journalist, she is now calling on videos on Facebook to protest and scold government. As an activist, she tries to be voice of demonstrators. Although she constantly says her opinion on internet, she has a hard time being heard. Because it is only one of many who are currently trying to shape discourse in Central American country.
After four weeks of escalation, a dialogue is scheduled to begin on Wednesday in Nicaragua, which hopes for an end to violence. The talks organized Catholic Church. Representatives of Government and demonstrators want to participate toger with or groups of society. However, it is still completely unclear wher dialogue will actually come about in planned constellation. Many Nicaraguans wonder wher government of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, vice-President Rosario Murrillo, are actually willing to negotiate. Equally exciting is how demonstrators will react. So those who want to participate in dialogue and those who continue to demonstrate on streets. The future of country also depends on wher you will succeed in speaking with one voice.
A few hundred retired people initiated protests
The anger of Nicaraguans on government had long been dammed up. However, no one had anticipated that situation in country would escalate in such a way. The protests began weeks ago with just a few hundred pensioners who had gone to streets against social reform. A few days later it became a mass uprising against President Ortega. The former revolutionary has long since turned into a corrupt ruler, which many citizens no longer accept. Thousands of people are now flocking to streets. But fight between opponents and supporters of government is not only being waged re, but also in social networks – with videos, personal calls and photo montages. Lists of names and photos of government critics are already being disseminated to intimidate m.
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At end of April, Martínez tells us how brutally it is now in a video chat. Your smartphone will keep you in front of your face. Her black curls are ruffled, with black rings shining under her eyes. “I just got out of college, students were attacked, re are deaths!” she calls aloud and speaks so fast that she swallows sentenced. Then she suddenly gets quiet until she catches up again: “I got a panic attack. I almost wouldn’t have come out alive anymore, “she says.
The state and its critics have long since struggled to fight for truth. The demonstrators are also not in agreement. While majority have been calling for peaceful protests for weeks, some critics on internet are calling for counter-violence.
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As spontaneously as protests broke out, so unordered y still run until today. The demonstrations have no structure and, above all, no leader who speaks for all participants. That is also why Violeta Martínez is using and, like many ors, uses her voice to shape public opinion.
Meanwhile, on internet, however, a name that has aim of demonstrators student movement of 19th of April. In planned dialogue with Government, some of its representatives want to act as a “student coalition”. However, re are no longer only students and a few hundred pensioners among protest learners. But also farmers, forwarders, lawyers, students, journalists and former supporters of ruling party Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (National Sandinista Liberation Front) are going to streets.
The fact that this movement is so diverse makes it harder for demonstrators to agree on demands. An end to violence, justice for murdered and better protection of freedom of expression have so far been only core demands in which y agree. Such requests are also popping up again and again in Facebook timeline of Violeta Martínez. After all, so-called “student coalition” succeeded in a first success: before planned dialogue with Government, it was able to push condition of leaving Inter-American Commission for Human Rights into country. The government relied on what some interpret as a good sign.
It will probably be more difficult for Ortega’s opponents to agree as soon as negotiations become more concrete. To this day, many demonstrators doubt wher it is right to speak with government at all. In fact, repression continues in country, even though government has agreed to dialogue. In last days, too, people were killed by police and government-related gangs, and hundreds were injured. And what does Violeta Martínez think about talks with government? “There can be no dialogue with psychopaths,” she posted on Facebook.
