At least 15 dead as violence breaks out at protests

A police officer aims his shotgun at two men riding a motorcycle during a protest against Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega in Managua. Photo / AP

More than a dozen people have died in shootings that erupted around protests in Nicaragua, but the Government and human rights groups differed on who was to blame.

The Nicaraguan Centre for Human Rights, which said it had members participating, said at least 11 people died when peaceful marches were attacked "by the repressive police and shock forces" loyal to President Daniel Ortega, the latter a reference to pro-government youth groups.

Francisco Diaz, the second in command of the national police, said there were 15 deaths nationwide, which he blamed on "criminal gangs".

Foreign Minister Denis Moncada said the violence was generated by opposition political groups and said, "The Government rejects any responsibility in that violence."

The Mother's Day marches were led by mothers of the victims of earlier protests. But some ended with gunmen firing into crowds sending thousands of demonstrators running for cover.

An Associated Press photographer at a march in Managua saw one person with a wound to the head carried off in a stretcher with a sheet covering his upper body, apparently dead.

The gunfire appeared to come from government supporters near the end of the march, but demonstrators armed with improvised bottle-rocket launchers also opened fire in the skirmish.

Nicaragua's Roman Catholic church hierarchy said in a statement yesterday that the violence showed that it couldn't yet resume a dialogue between protesters and President Daniel Ortega's Government.

- AP