update on the marches

Two large marches took place this past Saturday here in Managua. One march was by opponents of President Daniel Ortega and his Sandinista party, particularly protesting an October decision by the Nicaraguan Supreme Court overturning the ban on reelection. The second march was by the Sandinistas, celebrating the fact that the Supreme Court overturned the ban. There was much talk about violence, as the two marches were going to happen at the same time and be only blocks apart on their respective routes. Also, the police announced that they would not ban homemade mortars. Most inter-city transportation shut down on Saturday as close to 250,000 people showed up for the 2 marches. University classes, including Alan's, were cancelled.

Fortunately, there was little violence in spite of the tensions. The police made sure the marchers avoided contact, and the atmosphere ended up being more festive than divisive. We are thankful that a spirit of peace was on Managua. Thanks for your prayers.