Police Presence in Shopping Centers Rejected

The Managua shopping center Galerias Santo Domingo explained in a statement that “it has not requested a police presence” in its facilities after the extensive police deployment in this mall last weekend caused “concern and fear to its visitors, tenants and employees.”

On their social networks the mall authorities stated that “these actions have not been carried out with the consent of business owners or by the administration of this shopping mall.”

“As is public knowledge, the commerce sector has been one of the most affected during the current crisis, and the stability of our tenants and more than a thousand workers employed in this commercial complex, which opened fourteen years ago, have also been negatively affected by this difficult situation,” indicates the statement.

The Superior Council for Private Enterprise (COSEP) stated its position through Twitter pointing out that this type of action does not add to “recover the trust of our investors” and “neither does it contribute to generate a climate of peace and effective reconciliation.”

“We urge cessation of repression against citizens and against the private sector and to start searching for peaceful solutions to put an end to the sociopolitical crisis,” they wrote quoting the President of COSEP, Jose Adan Aguerri.

Justification by the Police

Users of social networks reported the police presence over the weekend and disseminated photographs as well as videos in which several officers are observed. In Metrocentro as well as in Galerias Santo Domingo the police presence within the shopping mall and parking area was quite noticeable. This include several police officers being located in the food court area of both malls.

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So far, Metrocentro has not pronounce itself about it. The statement by Galerias Santo Domingo was published after the National Police justified its presence stating that these actions were part of a special plan called “Nicaragua in peace, harmony and goodwill” being implemented for the upcoming festivities of “La Purisima” (Immaculate Conception).

Through a press release, the National Police says this plan they will be implemented during the last two months of the year and aims to guarantee “peace, public order, the right to work, free movement and citizen’s security” in the country.

According to the authorities, the plan covers surveillance and patrolling in all the areas of daily life, such as neighborhoods, bus stops, bus terminals, parks, markets, shopping centers and tourist destinations, as well as places authorized for the sale of fireworks, as well as regulation of transit, roadblocks and control of highways for the prevention of accidents.

However, the Police made no reference to the denunciations by citizens who say that their presence in shopping malls is due to a new attempt to suppress civic protests against the regime of Daniel Ortega.

Citizens reported that the strange presence of policemen was due to the so-called “lightning” protests in the shopping malls.