Church negotiates temporary cease fire in Nicaragua

The Nicaraguan Government and opposition agree to a ceasefire temporarily ending demonstrations and sustained street fighting which has left almost two hundred people dead.

By James Blears

The Church mediated this latest last gasp negotiations, which has led to a wary stadoff and truce. A previous attempt had failed.

A Truth Commission will now be formed to investigate the crisis and to come forward with proposals to re-gain everyday normality. Last month the Inter American Commission for Human rights visited Nicaragua. Its report, just out... has severely criticised a heavy handed respsonse to the demonstrations from Government Security Forces. This has been dismissed as slanted and biased by the Foreign Ministry.

Nevertheless, The Commision, plus Human rights factions of the European Unión and the United Nations will now come to Nicaragua, as part of this latest agreement.

The crisis started on April 19th, when the Government of President Daniel Ortega, increased social security payments but simultaneously slashed pension payouts. The protests against that have now developed into demands for his resignation.

Listen to James Blears' report