MANAGUA, Nicaragua — President Daniel Ortega’s government announced it held talks on restarting a long-stalled dialogue following political violence that left more than 300 dead last year, but the proposal was swiftly met with a raft of preconditions from opposition groups and civil society Sunday. “The need for an understanding to begin a negotiation was confirmed, through an inclusive, serious and frank encounter,” the official statement said. Talks on ending the dispute were begun May 16 and suspended July 9 with no true progress. Ortega’s opponents demanded he leave office and for elections scheduled for 2021 to be held early. Kevin Sullivan, U.S. ambassador to Nicaragua, tweeted Saturday that Washington “welcomes this effort to reestablish negotiations.

Source: National Post February 17, 2019 21:22 UTC