Three injured in fresh cross-party clashes in Nicaragua

Nicaraguan opposition leaders clashed with supporters of President Daniel Ortega´s ruling Sandinistas yesterday morning in the town of La Concepción, south of Managua, with opposition groups reporting three injured.

Opposition leaders and supporters were protesting to demand an investigation into the detention of La Concepción´s former Liberal mayoral candidate, Mildred López, when the clashes occurred.

Police detained López on Monday, a day after she led a prior opposition march to protest alleged electoral fraud in the Nov. 9 elections.

Police also briefly held the Liberal Constitutional Party (PLC) leader in Concepción, Alberto Espinoza, as well as López´s husband, Javier Estaquit, according to PLC spokesman Elliot Sevilla.

The three PLC members allege they were mistreated during questioning.

“We held a demonstration, and municipal workers came out to assault people who were protesting peacefully. The product is three more people injured. They were attacked with mortars and rocks,” said Sevilla.

Police spokeswoman Vilma Reyes said the three opposition members were called in by police briefly on Monday for questioning in an investigation of five cases of damaged property that took place during the Sunday protests led by opposition.