This July 15 marks the fifth anniversary of the armed attack on the municipalities of Catarina, San Juan de Oriente, Niquinohomo and Diriá, in what the dictator Daniel Ortega called “the cleanup operation” against the cities that in 2018 protested against of his regimen.
The exreo and political exile Alex Hernandez he recalled that date, which would be the “scene” of the paramilitary attack —on July 17— against the department of Masaya.
Related news: Five years have passed since “Operation Cleaning, the bloodiest day of the protests” carried out by the Ortega regime in 2018
Hernández reported that after these five years, many families continue to be fragmented due to the forced mobilization of opponents who had to leave the country to protect their lives.
“Since then, many people from these towns have gone through different prisons for being opponents, fighting for democracy and seeking the common good for everyone,” said the exiled politician.
In interview with Article 66Hernández recalled the armed attack against young people who, as he explains, defended themselves with mortar launchers, “but it was impossible for us to contain the entire paramilitary force that came to attack the white towns.”
He said that “thank God” in Catarina there were no young people killed by the bullets of the Ortega dictatorship, “but there were dozens of detainees, including a group of young people who provided medical assistance to the wounded.”
“Ears” responsible for the attack against opponents
Regarding the “hunt” against self-summoned, the opposition leader stated that “all those inhabitants of the town are responsible, who consciously and premeditation joined in pointing out, falsely testifying, accusing, threatening and living in constant harassment of opponents They are still in their homes.”
Related news: Police and paramilitaries “used weapons of war to attack” the population during the cleanup operation
However, he said encouraged that “the different future for which we all fight (…) is not impossible, there will be justice for the victims and real justice will be applied to all those involved, already identified in joining these barbaric actions.”
Alex Hernández concluded by affirming that the repressive attack by the Ortega regime did not represent a defeat for the opponents, “rather, on the contrary, it was the evident defeat of a ruling party that, knowing that it had already been defeated through civic means, had no other tools than to resort to violence.” to stay in power.”
