Nicaraguans in exile, in Costa Rica, carried out this Sunday, “the march of memory” in commemoration of the massacre of May 30, 2018 during a demonstration carried out by mothers whose children had been murdered by Daniel Ortega after May 18. April of the same year, when he began a civic rebellion against the Sandinista dictatorship.
The activity was promoted by the Together for Nicaragua platform and began at 11 in the morning in the City of San José. The opponents concentrated in the La Merced park and culminated in the Plaza de la Democracia with a tribute to the victims of Ortega’s repression. The call had the motto: “Mothers, together with the people, do not give up.”
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With the slogan “Mothers do not give up, they demand justice!” Dozens of exiles gathered to march through the main streets of Costa Rica. Among the organizations that joined the protest was the Mothers of April Association (AMA), who continue to demand justice for those killed in the 2018 social protests.
Susana López, mother of university student Gerald Vásquez and member of AMA, joined the march. The mother of Sandor Dolmus, an altar boy from León, who was murdered in June 2018 at the Divina Misericordia church in Managua, during the so-called “cleaning plan” ordered by the Ortega regime, also made an appearance.
Mothers demand justice
“We know that tomorrow – Monday – is May 30. Today we tell the Nicaraguan government that we have nothing to celebrate; We continue in resistance, we continue to demand the light of justice, the truth and that crimes do not remain unpunished. We do these marches counteracting the government’s narrative because there is nothing to celebrate, Nicaragua is in mourning,” Susana López told the Nicaragua Actual digital media.
For her part, Martha Lira, mother of Ezequiel Mendoza, a young man from Tipitapa, murdered in the context of the social protests, asked the international community to continue in favor of Nicaraguans so that crimes against humanity in Nicaragua “do not remain in impunity.”
“Our children were murdered for going out to march, just for raising a flag, that is why we ask for help to clarify the cases of all the young people who were murdered,” he added.
Candelaria Díaz, mother of Carlos Manuel Díaz, originally from Masaya, murdered on May 30, 2018, expressed through tears that “we will not rest until there is justice for our murdered children. Daniel Ortega and Rosario Mario sent me a gift for my son who was murdered on May 20. He was not a bum or a criminal.
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He emphasized that it is “a mockery” that the Ortega regime has declared a holiday on May 30, when four years ago it carried out a massacre in Nicaragua. “He (Ortega) knows about the massacre he carried out, he had my son assassinated; he took away the most precious thing in my life. No May 30 is going to be the same.
Díaz also thanked the Costa Rican government for allowing the mothers of those murdered to march, “because there is no democracy in Nicaragua, you cannot raise a flag, much less shout that —Ortega— is a murderer.”
“The people united will never be defeated”
Another of the slogans of the self-convoked was «the united people will never be defeated!, They are leaving, they are leaving!, Those who were assassinated by the Ortega and Murillo dictatorship were students, not criminals! The assassins are in power.”
As for the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, the opponents gave their support to the religious leaders who are continually harassed by the Police and paramilitaries of the Ortega and Murillo dictatorship. “Friend Bishop, the people are with you!” they expressed.
The march concluded in the Plaza de la Democracia in Costa Rica where Ama and Together for Nicaragua read a statement condemning the Ortega regime for the crimes against humanity in the 2018 social protests and affirmed that they will continue to demand justice.
