A Timeline of Events in Nicaragua, April-July 2018

Produced by the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition

Download a pdf file in: Spanish or English

Produced by the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition

This timeline of events in Nicaragua from April to July 2018 uses information readily available online to provide a snapshot of the period in which the United States’ failed attempt to overthrow Nicaragua’s government took place. Each item is a brief summary, not an exhaustive account of every incident during that time.

Date	Incident
April 3	Fire in Indio Maiz, leading to protests (see below). Forest experts made a statement about the fire.
April 12-13	Protests against government “inaction” over the fire. Nicaragua’s authorities swiftly mobilized the armed forces and civil defence to effectively counter the fire in Indio Maíz. After initially coordinating with Costa Rica’s fire service and agreeing that assistance overland was impractical, the government sought and received assistance from Mexico and aerial help from Honduras as well as guidance from US specialists. Thanks to these measures and opportune rainfall, damage was limited to under one per cent of the Indio Maíz Reserve’s peripheral area adjacent to the Caribbean Sea.
April 16	Social security reforms announced. Private business organization COSEP withdraws from discussions because the reforms thwart privatization, defend workers’ rights and increase businesses’ social security contributions.
April 18	First protest was ostensibly against INSS Social Security reforms (reforms that big business doesn’t like) – violent confrontations (e.g. in Masaya) but no deaths. A mass campaign on social media using hundreds of thousands of fake accounts falsely claims deaths and “massacre” of students.
April 19	Three people killed in Managua, including police officer Hilton Rafael Manzanares Alvarado, age 33, by gunfire. A Sandinista youth was shot and killed while defending the Tipitapa Municipal office from opposition attacks. And a supermarket worker was killed, walking home near the UPOLI which became one of the operational headquarters for the opposition. There were also violent attacks by opposition activists across Nicaragua, including Estelí, León, Managua, Masaya, Granada, Diriamba and Jinotepe Nueva Guinea. This was the beginning of the US-directed opposition effort to have as many dead as possible. The “human rights” organizations, all funded and one even founded by the US, received more US funding if they reported higher numbers of deaths. And the leaders wanted many dead to get international coverage as they blamed everything on the Sandinista government.
Abril 20	Intensification of attacks across Nicaragua. During an arson attack on the Estelí town hall, over 30 police officers, firefighters and municipal workers were injured, most by gunfire; Leon University’s historic CUUN building was destroyed by fire, with one fatality, Christian Emilio Cadenas, a Sandinista student leader and the first student killed (link is to an excellent video).
Abril 20	Extreme violence at various universities (UPOLI, UNI, UNAN). Police enter the Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería (UNI), and are met by gunfire, various victims.
April 21	Murder of journalist Ángel Gahona in Bluefields in an attack that also wounded police officers who were standing close to Gahona (see video analysis of his death). Nevertheless the death was widely blamed on the police. Murder of police officer Juana Francisca Aguilar in Managua by armed opposition. Destruction of FSLN office in Managua’s Distrito 6.
April 19-22	Major opposition attacks across Nicaragua, including Estelí, León, Managua, Masaya, Granada, Diriamba and Jinotepe. One more police fatality, 121 police injured (over just these four days)
April 22	President Ortega meets with business leaders and revokes the social security reforms and said the issue would continue to be negotiated between workers and business owners. He invites the country’s Catholic Episcopal Conference to take part in dialogue. He orders a ceasefire by the police after April 23.
April 23-May 10	After April 23, there were no further deaths reported for approximately two weeks, even though three protests took place on Apr 23, 28 and May 9; this excellent article explains the opposition strategy during the period. Daniel Ortega invites the different parts of the opposition (business sector, Catholic Church, MRS and a group they had formed called the Aliánza Cívica) to participate in a dialogue beginning April 24. Because of delaying tactics by the Catholic Church leadership, it doesn’t start until May 16. Their delay gave time for roadblocks to be established across much of the country, controlled by the opposition and taking advantage of the ceasefire.
May 9	First major roadblock was created by Medardo Mairena’s group in Chontales at Empalme de San Pedro de Lóvago – a major junction. This was the first of hundreds on main roads; they were begun and promoted by the “Movimiento Campesino,” whose leaders were Medardo Mairena and Francisca Ramírez. This is a good short video on what was happening at the UPOLI, but includes information on someone killed by Francisca Ramírez’ group. In 2020, evidence was collected from a large number of victims of the violence in 2018 directed by Mairena and his associates in the central region of Nicaragua.
May 11	President Ortega orders police to remain in their stations, complying with precondition for a national dialogue set by the Catholic Episcopal Conference.
May 12	Masaya town hall and several public buildings and houses burned down, the house of Jacaranda Fernandez, the former vice-mayor, is ransacked. Excellent Documentary: La Verdad de lo Acontecido en Masaya entre Abril y Junio 2018 (The Truth of What Happened in Masaya between April and June 2018).
May 14	Violeta del Socorro Campos (age 71), a school teacher, died of renal failure in a Boaco hospital after having missed a dialysis session in Managua due to being held up at a roadblock.
01/05/15	An opposition attack in Matagalpa killed two people – Wilber Reyes Hernández, 37 and José Alfredo Urroz Jirón, 28 and seriously wounded two others. They also attacked the Matagalpa police station.
May 15	Lilliam Jaqueline Martínez Valerio (age 18) who was being transported to the hospital in Boaco city for an emergency childbirth; Roadblock operators at La Cañada delayed the ambulance for over three hours, resulting in her death.
May 16	National dialogue begins; Lesther Aleman (part of the MRS and the Aliánza Cívica) calls for Daniel Ortega to leave office. Bishop Abelardo Mata affirms that the protests constitute an attempt to change the government.
May 17	Guatemalan journalist dies crushed under a metal “tree of life” structure when it was demolished by an opposition mob in Managua.
May 17-21	Invited by the government, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights visits Nicaragua to see the protests “in situ”. It has meetings with officials, receives their reports and visits prisons. Despite clear evidence of the violence, the IACHR describe the protests as “peaceful” in their preliminary report (see below).
May 20	Pánfila Alvarado Urbina (age 80) was being transported from the Teustepe health post to the hospital in Boaco for an emergency cardiac condition when roadblock operators at the Boaco junction held up the ambulance for over four hours, resulting in her death.
May 26	Jorge Gastón Palacios Vargas (age 30), a member of the Sandinista Youth, was killed by roadblock operators at the Boaco junction in a confrontation over lack of free passage for citizens.
May 28 to May 30	Private pro-Sandinista “Radio Ya” was attacked five times and finally destroyed by arson on May 30 with 21 workers who barely made it out alive. The intellectual authors were Director of 100% Noticias, Miguel Mora, who encouraged the attack, as well as his colleague, Jackson Orozco who lied over the radio asserting that there were armed Sandinista youth at Radio Ya preparing to attack university students. Video of the first time they tried to burn it down on May 28.
May 30	The government signs an agreement with the OAS and IACHR about their investigations into the violence, an agreement which the OAS and IACHR subsequently break.
May 30	Gunfire attack at La Trinidad, south of Estelí, ambushing a caravan of vehicles carrying Sandinistas to a peace march in Managua: 27 Sandinistas were wounded, one killed, and two Sandinista supporters died later from the bullet wounds. Documentary: 30 de Mayo: Massacre en la Trinidad
May 30	Mothers’ Day marches in Managua (two marches, one opposition, one Sandinista): 20 police injured, six civilian deaths (two Sandinista supporters; four opposition). Documentary: 30 de Mayo en Nicaragua – ¿Un Plan para Sumar? Article: Analysis of errors in subsequent “Group of Independent Experts” report. The Caruna (Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito) building in Managua was destroyed by fire that day along with other events, including destruction of various buildings in Masaya. In Estelí, opposition activists attacked and set fire to the local tax office. In Chinandega, violent opposition groups attacked the Municipal Office. Attack on municipal depot in Sebaco, destruction of vehicles and machinery. Destruction by arson of police post in Las Lajitas, Juigalpa.
June 2-3	Main high school serving over 1000 students in Masaya set on fire twice. Police officer José Abraham Martínez shot in the eye. Attempts to take him to the hospital were prevented by opposition operating the roadblocks, thus he was dead on arrival. In Tipitapa, an armed gang operating a roadblock killed Giovanni Miguel Reyes and wounded three others when they demanded free passage.
June 4	Opposition arson attack on house of Sandinista student leader Claudia Garcia Barbarena in Juigalpa.
June 5	Opposition burn Granada City Hall. Videos: Report by Trinchera de Noticias Documentary: La Quema de Granada en 2018 por parte de la oposición golpista y fascista
June 5	During more than a month, until July 8, 400 international freight vehicles were held hostage between various roadblocks in the department of Carazo. The drivers were unable to move, threatened with violence and in many cases robbed. Negotiations with embassy representatives resulted in no agreement with the opposition to release them.
June 9	Nationwide map of roadblocks was published by Francisca Ramirez in the newspaper El Nuevo Diário. Radio Nicaragua was destroyed by fire. The opposition attacks police station in El Jicaral, León, kidnapping 3 police officers and stealing AK47s, pistols and ammunition.
June 10	Attack on police station in Sebaco Release of 3 kidnapped police officers from El Jicaral and FSLN party secretary, Martin Gonzalez.
June 11	Attack on Mulukuku police station; three police officers killed, Dixon Soza Enriquez, Carlos Zamora Martínez and Martín Sánchez Gutiérrez. Murder of police officer Marco Gonzalez Briceño in Managua.
June 12	Masaya municipal depot destroyed with all its vehicles and offices; disabling torture of Reynaldo Urbina Armed attack on police stations in Nagarote and Jinotepe. Hijacking and theft of a MINSA ambulance in Nagarote. More than 50 ambulances were stolen and destroyed during the coup.
June 12	Sandinista supporters Marcus Gutiérrez Acevedo and Guillermo Lucio Méndez Ortiz were killed in Jinotepe by the opposition; and opposition thugs kidnapped at least nine FSLN supporters who were interrogated and tortured before their release two weeks later. This documentary describes 81 days of opposition violence in Jinotepe.
June 12	Armed groups in León attacked two ambulances and hijacked them, using them later to attack the police station in León. In Jinotega, Eyner Heriberto Espinoza Rugama, 19, was shot in the head while helping to remove obstacles that made up part of a roadblock.
June 13	Student leader Leonel Morales was kidnapped, shot and left for dead Documentary about Leonel Morales. Murder by gunfire of police officer Jean Kerry Luna Gutiérrez.
June 14	Attack by armed opposition on the police station of El Cuapa. Murder of Enacal (state water company) worker Marlon Javier Medina Toval, 35, by armed gang operating a León roadblock. Also in León, Sandor Manuel Dolmus, 16 shot in the head by a gunman. An attack in Bilwí by armed Yatama activists on FSLN offices killed Ulises Santiago Gogo, 28, and Nixia Hawkins Posly, 14, wounding 25 others.
June 15	Sandinista lawyer and activist Marlon Medina Tobal was shot dead while walking near a roadblock in the city of León.
June 16	Family house in Barrio Carlos Marx destroyed by fire, deaths include an eight-month-old baby and a two-year-old girl. Documentary: Incendio en el barrio Carlos Marx. Documentary in English: Fire at Carlos Marx Neighborhood.
June 16	Attacks on police in Rivas.
June 16	Antonio Fernández and Francisco Arauz Pineda, municipal workers who were cleaning the streets were shot and burned in Barrio March 8, near the Ivan Montenegro Market. Francisco’s mother was one of the famous “women of El Cua.” This video shows what happened.
June 17	Violent opposition groups in Granada attack and destroy the offices of the Consejo Supremo Electoral (Supreme Electoral Council). In Jinotega Pablo Ramos Chavarria, 21, was murdered by gunfire while he was removing obstacles in a roadblock.
June 18	Opposition declares Masaya “independence.” Limpieza (Removal of roadblocks and those manning them) of north side of Masaya takes place following day; lengthy and violent siege of Masaya police station is ended. Videos: here and here. Also, this short video shows the siege and harassment of the police at the police station in Masaya. Interviews here and here with Commissioner Avellán who headed the police station while it was under siege by the violent opposition.
June 18	Kidnapping and torture of William Quiroz in Juigalpa. Kidnapping of the family of Juan Alberto Rodriguez Mena in Juigalpa. Kidnapping in Muelle de los Bueyes of Víctor Cerna, 36, José Linarte, 23, Jonathan Masis, 21 and Deylin Sosa, 23. José Antonio Cruz Solis, age 29, killed by opposition gunfire in Diriamba.
June 19	Police station in Jinotepe, under armed opposition siege, is the subject of an attempt to explode two stolen fuel tankers parked nearby. If these had exploded entire neighborhoods would have burned.
June 21	Young gay Sandinista, Sander Bonilla is kidnapped and tortured in Leon by the opposition in the presence of a Catholic priest.
June 21	A Catholic delegation, including Cardenal Brenes and the Papal Nuncio, came to Masaya. While negotiating with police, a bomb falls into the police station. After a phone call by the Catholic leaders, the attacks stop.
June 22	IACHR publishes its first report on events in Nicaragua, which disregards almost all opposition violence and repeatedly refers to the protests as “peaceful”.
June 23	One year old Teyler Leonardo Lorío Navarrete killed during armed attack on municipal workers and police in Managua. In Masaya, an attack by armed opposition on municipal workers and police killed municipal worker Carolina Collado Delgadillo.
June 24	Cristhoper Castillo was killed in Jinotepe; his father Roberto was killed on July 5 (the second article has a video of Roberto pleading for the violence to stop). Yadira Ramos, a companion who had been traveling with Castillo on his motorcycle, was herself kidnapped, tortured, and raped.
June 24	A monitoring group from the IACHR arrives (known as “MESENI”) at government invitation, and stay into July. At their request, various prisoners charged with serious offences are released in July.
June 25	Armed opposition attacks police station in El Coral. Police officer Zaira Julissa López was killed by gunfire in Nagarote.
June 25	After being ransacked by the opposition, the municipal depot in Matagalpa is destroyed by fire. Opposition media wrongly claim (as in other arson attacks) that it was Sandinista “paramilitaries” who carried out the attack.
June 29	Bismarck Martinez, a Managua municipal worker and Sandinista activist, disappears in Diriamba. His torturers put videos of his torture on Facebook. His body wasn’t found until May 2019 in the San Jose Catholic School that was used by the opposition as a headquarters in Diriamba. By the end of June hundreds of videos of the torture of Sandinistas by the opposition had been placed on Facebook and other social media.
July 2	By government agreement, a Group of International Experts (GIEI) arrives in Nicaragua, which will subsequently report to the IACHR/OAS. Detailed agreements on how they will work are quickly broken. Despite government complaints, these problems continue and the GIEI effectively becomes an opposition mouthpiece. The government finally ended its agreements with the IACHR/MESENI/GIEI in December 2018.
July 8	Violent opposition thugs murder Arán Molina Pérez, age 60, in Matagalpa, while he protected the house of the Soza family, which was under opposition attack.
July 8	“Limpieza” (cleaning out of roadblocks and violent opposition) in Jinotepe-Diriamba, Carazo Department. Two police officers, Hilario Ortiz Zavala and Faber López Vivas were killed by sniper fire. Until that date, all eight deaths in Jinotepe-Diriamba had been police or Sandinista supporters.
July 8	Independent researcher Enrique Hendrix published his analysis of the casualty reports produced by the three main Nicaraguan human rights bodies (CENIDH, CPDH and ANPDH), showing how they manipulated the data to create the impression of many more deaths than actually occurred.
July 9	Diriamba population denounces that the church has been supporting the violent opposition and takes to the streets to demand the churches be turned over to the people since there are videos of many priests supporting the violent coup. Videos show evidence of the opposition stashing arms in the church, especially San Sebastian Basilica in Diriamba. Documentary: Ciudades Sequestradas – Jinotepe
July 12	Attack on Morrito police station; a “peaceful” motor caravan turns out to have up to 200 armed attackers travelling with it. Four police officers and a teacher were massacred. Then they kidnapped and beat 9 other police officers, subsequently released in a prisoner exchange.
July 12	Murder of Sandinista Teodoro Ruiz Arana by armed opposition in Juigalpa.
July 13	Opposition criminals in the National Autonomous University – UNAN attack Sandinistas with high-power weapons: ten are injured with gunshot wounds, several severely. They also stage a false video of a supposed police attack. Buildings at the UNAN are set on fire, including the Arlen Siu Child Development Centre which was totally destroyed. Another video shows heavy weapons. In subsequent arrests, hundreds of weapons were recovered.
July 13	Medardo Mairena and Pedro Mena, organizers of the Morrito Massacre the previous day, are arrested trying to flee the country and fly to the US.
July 14	Killing of police officer Luis López Hurtado near San Pedro de Lóvago by opposition fleeing from the roadblock there as the population fights to regain control of the area from the violent criminals.
July 14-15	Unarmed, off-duty community police officer Gabriel de Jesús Vado Ruíz (22) was kidnapped, tortured and, on the second day, killed. Priest Harvin Padilla was recorded ordering the kidnappers not to publish photos and videos because of the bad image they would create. Priest Edwin Roman, with “human rights” worker Alvaro Leiva of ANPDH, then attempted to remove the corpse, to hide the crime – a felony. (Both these men had been specifically praised in the June 22 IACHR report.)
July 17	“Limpieza” (removal of roadblocks) in south part of Masaya. One police officer was killed. Video of opposition crimes in final days, financing and involvement of MRS. By this date 22 police officers had been killed by gunfire, more than 900 wounded – more than 400 of them by gunfire. Since then other police have died of their wounds or (in Masaya) in later armed opposition attacks.
July 19	Huge celebrations in Managua and other cities.

For more information and details see these books, investigations and interviews:

This is a very good overview of the period April to July 2018 in Spanish.