Retired Major Eddy Gonzalez Responds with Gunfire to Police Arrest in Esteli

A shoot out between National Police officers in Esteli and retired Major Eddy Gonzalez, brother of exiled journalist Nohelia Gonzalez, resulted in four people wounded, including the ex-military officer himself, who was taken to a hospital in this northern Nicaraguan city with serious injuries.

Nohelia Gonzalez was arrested last week without any charges against her and then deported and banished. Although it was initially reported that she had been sent to Panama, her brother later confirmed that she was in the United States.

A source linked to retired Major Gonzalez in Esteli told CONFIDENCIAL that after his sister was expelled, Gonzalez had expressed his indignation and discontent on various social media posts. 

The source explained that "[Gonzalez] was fed up with the whole thing, and couldn't stand that there was nothing that could be done about what had happened to his sister" or about the subsequent harassment by police and paramilitaries who, shortly before 1:45 pm on Sunday, came to look for him at his home. 

"Just now the police came to my house, and violently wanted to enter my house. There's only one way," the university professor posted on Facebook, before responding to the regime's agents with gunfire.

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"It seems [Gonzalez] made the definitive decision to confront them. There was an exchange of gunfire, resulting in the wounding of two policemen and a paramilitary. He was also wounded. He was taken to the hospital in Esteli and no information of any kind has been released. It seems he was in bad shape. He was taken into the hospital alive, but who knows if they left him there or if he will survive," the source said.

Gonzalez was a prominent combatant on the northern front during the time of the FSLN guerrilla war against Somoza. He was very close to the late General Julio Ramos, who served as head of Army Military Intelligence.

Pro-regime media reported that Gonzalez had confronted the police with gunfire, leaving several injured on Central Avenue in Esteli, after he was stopped at a police checkpoint. Other versions reported on the existence of an operation to detain retired Major Gonzalez, as well as his resistance to arrest, but mistakenly reported that three policemen had died.

This article was published in Spanish in Confidencial and translated by our staff. To get the most relevant news from our English coverage delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to The Dispatch.