OUT OF CONTROL

Nicaraguan Journalist Killed During Live Broadcast of Protests

“We believe a sniper fired the shot,” his colleague says.

A Nicaraguan journalist was shot dead Saturday during a live broadcast of anti-government protests on Facebook Live. Miguel Angel Gahona was reporting on a confrontation between demonstrators and police in the Caribbean coastal city of Bluefields when he was struck by a bullet. He was shown bleeding and slumping to the ground while the broadcast continued. “We believe a sniper fired the shot, it wasn't the young people... The only people who were armed were the police and riot police,” his colleague, Ileana Lacayo, told local TV station Canal 15. At least 11 people have been killed since protests erupted last week over proposed changes to the pension system that would see workers contribute more but receive fewer benefits. President Daniel Ortega has claimed the growing protests are backed by groups receiving funding from the U.S. to “sow terror and insecurity.”