Sites of Attack on Sandinista Supporters in Nicaragua

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Two ambushes July 19 and July 20 were the deadliest political attacks in Nicaragua since the end of the Contra insurgency, which lasted from 1979 to 1990. Gunmen targeted two buses in Matagalpa department that were transporting supporters of Nicaragua's ruling party, the Sandinista National Liberation Front, from political events commemorating the anniversary of the country's 1979 revolution. Four people died in the first ambush, which occurred just before midnight July 19 near the community of Las Calabazas. Witnesses said an unknown number of gunmen hidden along the side of the road fired on the bus as it passed by; a police report said the assailants used AK-47s and shotguns. According to one report, the attackers also used caltrops to puncture the tires of vehicles traveling in the convoy. Soldiers arrested four people in connection to the attack. The second ambush occurred in the municipality of San Ramon after midnight July 20 and resulted in one death.

A group calling itself the National Salvation Forces-Popular Army claimed responsibility, suggesting the presence of small, politically motivated militant groups operating against the Nicaraguan government. However, guerrillas operating in the country likely lack the popular and financial support to pose an immediate threat to the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front. The groups likely involved are too small and lack mass popular support. The Contra movement of the 1980s threatened the Sandinista government because of continuous funding from the United States. Without a steady source of financial and political backing, militants operating in Nicaragua are unlikely to grow significantly, or to substantially expand their capabilities.

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