All Taiwanese safe following Nicaragua protest

Taipei, All Taiwanese have been reported safe after the latest round of protests in Nicaragua -- one of Taiwan's 18 diplomatic allies -- ended on July 14, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Tuesday.

A nationwide protest was held from July 12 to 14 in the country after President Daniel Ortega rejected calls for early elections to solve Nicaragua's political crisis, which has resulted in the death of more than 250 people amid a heavy-handed crackdown on protests.

Asked to comment, Vivia Chang (???), deputy head of MOFA's Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, said many of the factories run by Taiwanese in Nicaragua decided to shut down for the three days during the protests for safety reasons.

Based on the latest information obtained by Taiwan's embassy in its Central American ally, all 260 overseas Taiwanese were safe following the protest.

Chang reiterated Taiwan government's hope that Nicaragua's government and its people continue to engage in constructive dialogue to restore peace in the country.

The social unrest started in April after the government increased payroll taxes and changed pensions to try to shore up Nicaragua's troubled social security system.

On July 7, President Ortega officially rejected calls for holding an early election in March 2019, two years before his term expires in 2021.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel