The streets of Nicaragua's main cities were empty and almost every store remained unopened during Thursday's nationwide strike which was considered a success by opposition leaders, it was reported.
Activists faced off with Nicaraguan pro-government forces in hours of deadly clashes on Thursday amid a nationwide strike to protest government repression of dissent that has left at least 162 dead, including an altar boy. Despite the 24-hour work stoppage that gave the capital Managua the air of a ghost town, fierce unrest in other areas persisted, leaving at least four dead during pro-government attacks on activists guarding barricades.
Thousands of Nicaraguans marched peacefully through the capital Managua on Saturday in a mass demonstration to demand justice following the violent suppression of a wave of protests that left at least 43 people dead. During the rally, which was called by the Catholic church, Managua's bishop issued a deadline of one month to see if there was a serious intention to achieve change through a national dialogue aimed at resolving issues that triggered the country's worst unrest in 11 years.