Daily Times

A Wednesday deadline passed without progress in months-long talks aimed at resolving Nicaragua’s deadly political crisis, with the opposition accusing the government of lacking political will.

Talks however did not break down, and both sides could decide to prolong the negotiations.

Negotiations began on February 27 between President Daniel Ortega’s government and the opposition but have snagged on disagreements over key issues like the release of political prisoners.

Ortega said late Wednesday that the talks have been “complex,” but “agreements have been reached” despite the “extremist” position of some of his opponents.

Opposition negotiators disagreed.

“The political will is non-existent on the part of the government,” said Juan Sebastian Chamorro, a representative of the opposition Civic Alliance, before talks resumed.

One of the main stumbling blocks is the fate of people who participated in violent anti-government protests, many of whom are under arrest.

A year of political upheaval has left hundreds dead in the Central American country.

The government and opposition delegations reached an agreement on Friday on restoring protest and press freedom rights, and on disarming pro-government paramilitaries.

However, police dispersed a demonstration in Managua the following day that called for the release of political prisoners, injuring four people and detaining 10, the opposition said.

The government also rejected an opposition proposal to invite prominent human rights organizations to act as guarantors of any agreement.

The crisis began last April when protests, initially against a now-scrapped pension reform, transformed into calls for Ortega’s ouster.

Protesters accused him and his wife of establishing a dictatorship characterized by nepotism and brutal repression of the opposition and independent media.

Unrest left more than 300 people dead, 2,000 wounded, and sent 52,000 into exile, human rights groups say.