Nicaragua is in the midst of a deepening political and security crisis.
Over 240 people have been killed since April, when protests against a social security reform measure began. Those protests have morphed to a broader political challenge against the longtime Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega. In recent weeks, the government has been increasingly brutal in its crackdown, leading to a deepening crisis.
On the line with me to discuss recent events in Nicaragua and explain why the country is facing its most profound crisis in decades is Jason Marczak, Director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council. He explains the roots of the current crisis and offers some suggestions for how some key players in the region, including the United States, might use diplomacy to prevent this crisis from escalating further,
All in all, this is a useful conversation about a crisis that is not getting the attention it deserves, but is one that could most certainly have big implications across the region–including the United States. Nicaragua is not currently a large source country of migrants and asylum seekers at the southern US border, but if things continue as is, Nicaraguans could start to flee in large numbers.
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