Nicaragua Protests Escalate

Source: Al Jazeera

Pro-government protesters in Nicaragua have blockaded the country’s parliament in an effort to prevent opposition politicians from overturning a controversial presidential decree.

The supporters of Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua’s leftist president, took to the streets for a second day on Wednesday following violent protests during which cars were burned and three opposition politicians were lightly injured.

As well as surrounding parliament, protesters also laid siege to the headquarters of the main opposition parties and the homes of several politicians.

Al Jazeera’s Ricardo Castillo, reporting from Managua, the Nicaraguan capital, said that as the day progressed, “more and more protesters surrounded opposition headquarters. The situation gradually became violent and the atmosphere remains tense”.