評論
打印
Clinging to power amid violent protests, Nicaragua’s President faces a crisis point
面臨暴力抗議，把持政權的尼加拉瓜總統面臨危機
AS PROTESTERS CONTINUE TO CALL FOR his ouster, Nicaragua’s embattled President Daniel Ortega is digging in his heels.
抗議者堅持要求尼加拉瓜總統丹尼爾·奧爾特加下臺，盡管腹背受敵，該總統依然拒絕妥協。
At least 146 people have been killed since April in clashes there.
自4月份以來，已有至少146人在沖突中喪生。
Some worry that the Central American country is heading down the same path as Venezuela,
一些人擔心該中美洲國家會重蹈委內瑞拉的覆轍——
where a dictator refuses to bend as his country is battered by an economic and humanitarian crisis.
委內瑞拉受到經濟危機和人道主義危機重創時，其獨裁者就拒絕妥協。
A NICARAGUAN SPRING
尼加拉瓜之春
The crisis started on April 18 when pro-government gangs violently crushed a small student-led demonstration against planned reforms to the pension system.
這場危機始于4月18日，當時，親政府團伙暴力鎮壓了一場由學生領導的，抗議政府養老金制度改革新方案的小規模示威活動。
The government responded with force, and the protests escalated; dozens were killed over the next few days.
政府的武力回應進一步激化了抗議；接下來的幾天，一連有數十人被殺。
Ortega, 72, has since dropped his original plan for pensions,
之后，72歲的奧爾特加取消了他最初提議的養老金計劃，
but opponents are now calling for his resignation, as well as for democratic reforms and justice for victims of the crackdown.
但反對者現在要求他辭職，還要求政府進行民主改革，為前次鎮壓的受害者伸張正義。
CONFRONTATION
對抗
Opposition figures say Ortega—who had previously governed from 1979 to 1990 after helping topple Nicaragua’s last dictator, Anastasio Somoza—
反對派人士說，自2006年再次當選以來，奧爾特加——他曾助力推翻尼加拉瓜最后一位獨裁者阿納斯塔西奧·索摩扎，
has become increasingly corrupt and authoritarian since he was re-elected in 2006.
并因此上臺執政，執政時間是1979年到1990年——他變得日益腐敗和獨裁。
In January 2017, his wife Rosario Murillo, a mystic poet, became Vice President.
2017年1月，他的妻子、神秘主義詩人羅薩里奧·穆里洛當選副總統。
Many suspect Ortega is preparing her to be his successor.
許多人懷疑奧爾特加正籌備讓她繼位。
For his part, Ortega has blamed “opposition political groups with specific political agendas” for the violence
奧爾特加則將此次暴力鎮壓事件歸咎于“有特定政治企圖的反對派政治團體”，
and even suggested that protesters had killed one another to undermine him.
他甚至暗示，抗議者是在自相殘殺，為的是抹黑他的形象。
PROOF OF STRIFE
沖突的證據
With roads blocked, universities occupied and many businesses open only a few hours a day, Nicaragua has ground to a halt.
如今，抗議者們封鎖了多條道路，還占領了多所大學，許多店鋪每天都只營業幾個小時，尼加拉瓜已經陷入停滯。
Economists say the crisis has cost the extremely poor country upwards of $600 million.
經濟學家紛紛表示，這場危機給這個極度貧困的國家造成了高達6億多美元的損失。
Some are calling on the U.N. to step up its response, while others have suggested a national strike.
一些人呼吁聯合國對此予以重視，另一些人則建議舉行全國性的大罷工。
But talks between the two sides have broken down, leaving Ortega with a choice:
然而，雙方的談判已經破裂，奧爾特加只有一個選擇：
risk his position by holding early elections—which the Catholic Church and business leaders have called for—or refuse, and confirm his opponents’ worst fears.
要么冒著下臺的風險提前大選——天主教會和商界領袖已經做出過相應的呼吁——要么拒絕讓步，釀成反對人士最擔心的局面。
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