NICARAGUA – Police are investigating the shooting of a journalist of the state-affiliated TV channel Multinoticias at protests that turned violent when opposing political protestors clashed Wednesday in Managua.
“We´re working on that,” said police spokesperson Vilma Reyes, “we´re waiting for criminal investigators to complete a report.”
Channel 4 reporter Antenor Peña was hit in the knee Wednesday when shots broke out as police broke up clashes between Sandinista student protestors and opposition protestors. Wielding signs with slogans like “Daniel, you´re ugly. We don´t want to see your face. We want food,” Ortega opponents decrying the president´s ubiquitous publicity campaign crossed paths with another group of picketing Sandinista youth.
Local press reported that the violence began when Sandinistas began throwing stones at a bus full of anti-Ortega protestors, while the state-affiliated news sources reported that the opposition protestors provoked Sandinistas.
The state-run Web site www.elpueblopresidente.com reported that shots were fired from a white truck. Police haven´t confirmed that report.
The shooting came after marchers protesting the prohibition of minority parties in upcoming municipal elections flipped a Channel 4 car in June.
