Brazilian student gunned down in latest wave of violence in Nicaragua
A Brazilian medical student and three other people have been killed amid unrest that has rocked Nicaragua for over three months, her university and a human rights group reported Tuesday. Rayneia Lima, whose age varied between 29 and 31 in different reports, was shot several times while riding in a car in the capital Monday night.
In a statement, Nicaragua's National Police attributed her death to a "private security guard," saying he opened fire "under circumstances that have not yet been determined."
Brazil's Foreign Ministry expressed its "profound indignation" over the killing and said it was seeking clarification from Nicaragua's government.
"The Brazilian government again condemns the deepening repression, the disproportionate and lethal use of force and the use of paramilitary groups in operations coordinated by security forces," the ministry said in a statement.
It urged Nicaragua to punish those responsible for the killing and also "to guarantee the free exercise of individual rights and public liberties."
The killing came just hours after President Daniel Ortega said in an interview with Fox News that the country was returning to normal. Joshua Partlow, Mexico bureau chief for the Washington Post, says that the violence is continuing unabated, despite Ortega's claims.
"There were initially, after the initial wave of protests, there were some rounds of dialogue, but since then, that has fallen apart as the violence has intensified," Partlow said. "President Ortega has refused to consider the possibility of early elections, or leaving his position so I think Nicaragua is still at a standoff."
Partlow also said Ortega's government is showing it's willing to use "as much force as necessary" to break up the protests.
"The protesters had taken over universities, whole towns and cities with barricades, bricks and logs, and trying to block the police from entering cities and over the last few weeks, the paramilitary forces that are loyal to Ortega's government have gone in, in convoys of trucks with rifles and military weapons and started shooting, and have basically driven those protesters out of those areas," Partlow said.
So far at least 350 people have been killed since the demonstrations started in April over social security cuts. The movement has since turned into calls for Ortega to step down from power.
The violence sparked international condemnation, including from the U.S. Department of State. On Twitter Monday, Vice President Mike Pence blamed Ortega for the unrest and called for early elections:
