FSLN Vs. PLC = Lauren Afraid She Will Get Hit With A Rock

So as probably none of you know Nicaragua had an election on November 9th. There are two main candidates involved; the FSLN (socialist) and the PLC (liberals, who I suspect are quite conservative). This country has so much political baggage that I don't even know where to start. The most important thing to know is that neither candidate is really worthy of election.

The day after the election in a national holiday. I was told this is because they need people to count the ballots but what actually happens is that men between the ages of 12 and 55 get together and drink, get angry about the corruption in politics, grab rocks and throw them at each other. Then the next thing you know everyone has tire irons and are destroying buses and cars. Then the fireworks start, followed shortly by home made mortar.

I had just gotten used to the pitch and noise level of the fireworks people around my house set off. Much to my dismay, starting with election night they began setting off fireworks louder and more fequently. My sleep has since suffered. At least my original fear that they were gunfights has been put to rest. I bet I could get someone to show me how to make a sweet gun out of household products, but I'm not friends with any of the revolutionaries. It's a real shame.

When people told me there would be rioting after the elections I figured 5 days maximum. How wrong I was. It ended up lasting 15 days!! Fifteen days of tear gas, rubber bullets, fireworks, gang violence and reworked transport routes because there were no buses and streets were shut down. The worst part was that it was the political leaders inciting people to violence. I waited during this whole time to see if anything would come up on any international news channel. Central America in general is very undereported. I'd be willing to bet that no one reading this post heard about the dozens of people beheaded by drug gang members on a Nicaraguan bus in Guatemala. There is better coverage of the latest soccer matches on BBC than on the deaths and injuries from this election or the flooding from hurricanes in the fall.

As violent as this whole ordeal sounds it is not actually very dangerous for people to walk around. You just have to be smart enough not to wear political colors or involve yourself with either group. Even as a foreigner I got frustrated watching these events unfold. The political situation in this country is a revolving door of corrupt leaders and election fraud. No wonder people are angry enough to throw some stones.

For a bit more information...

International Herald Tribune -- Election dipute sparks violence in Nicaragua
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/17/news/LT-Nicaragua-Election-Dispute.php

RTE News -- Violence in Nicaragua over elections
http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1111/nicaragua.html


PICTURE CREDIT:
A supporter of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) fires a homemade mortar toward supporters of Eduardo Montealegre, mayoral candidate of the Liberal Constitutionalism party (PLC) in Leon City, some 95 km (59 miles) west from Managua, November 16, 2008. Dozens of people have been injured in Nicaragua in post-municipal election violence, according to reports from local media. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)