Violence has gripped Nicaragua since April 18, when citizens took to the streets to reject a pension proposal by President Daniel Ortega. Though the plan was withdrawn, protesters continued to rally against government repression and have demanded Ortega's resignation. Since then, the Inter-American Human Rights Commission has confirmed that 264 people have died and 1,800 more have been wounded during the government crackdown.

An untold number of people have been detained in prisons like El Chipote, in the capital city of Managua, for protesting against Ortega's government. Most of them are young males, forcefully pulled from their homes by masked and heavily armed pro-government paramilitaries. All of them are robbed of their money and cellphones, beaten and then carried away in unregistered vehicles.

Tears, frustration and a sense of hopelessness hang heavy outside of El Chipote, where family members have gathered in search for their loved ones.

Read more: Urging peace in Nicaragua, Catholic Church takes pro-opposition stance

Yuri Gabriela Gonzalez, a 31-year-old housewife, had been outside El Chipote for two days demanding that authorities release her underage son. He was taken from his home in the community of Diriamba, south of Managua, along with two of his friends. Four other members of the family were also illegally detained when pro-government forces stormed the town.

Gonzalez, clutching a photo of her son, told DW that she had asked the authorities to take her into custody instead. "I want my son alive and I will not leave until they give him back to me," she said.

But at El Chipote no one is listening. Two police officers stood idly by and did not even turn their gaze at a judge who had arrived with an official order of release.

Notorious prison

It was Ortega and other commanders of the Nicaraguan revolution who gave El Chipote its name, in honor of the namesake mountain where Nicaraguan patriot Augusto Sandino once had his headquarters in 1927.

Sandino, a hero of the Nicaraguan and Latin American left, fought the United States occupation of the Central American nation in the late 1920s. He was assassinated by forces loyal to General Anastasio Somoza Garcia, whose family would rule Nicaragua until 1979, when the Sandinista National Liberation Front overthrew the dynastic dictatorship.

Ortega himself was once held in El Chipote, on orders of dictator Anastasio Somoza DeBayle, for his involvement with the Sandinista Liberation Front.

Now, a prison that was once a symbol of the struggle against right-wing authoritarianism has become a holding cell for Ortega's own dissidents.

Nicaragua crisis explained Daniel Ortega: A Cold War relic Embattled President Daniel Ortega has been a fixed presence in Nicaraguan politics for decades. Following the fall of longtime dictator Anastasio Somoza, Ortega became president in 1985, heading the leftist Sandinista National Liberation Front. With deep ties to Fidel Castro, he faced US opposition. The Reagan Administration supported a right-wing guerrilla movement aimed at bringing him down.

Nicaragua crisis explained Opposition figure and return to power After losing re-election in 1990, Ortega became a major opposition figure. Ortega finally won the presidency in 2006, riding the wave of leftist presidents in Latin America. He became a close friend and ally of Hugo Chavez. He has since changed tack, allying himself with the country's traditionally right-wing business community and clergy.

Nicaragua crisis explained Nicaraguan government consolidates power Coupled with changes in electoral law, Ortega has prolonged and cemented his rule. In 2016, he barred international observers and nominated his wife as vice-president. The pair won the election, which was condemned by the opposition and criticized internationally by the US, OAS and the EU.

Nicaragua crisis explained Pension reform attempt In April 2018, Ortega announced a move to reform Nicaragua's pension system, saying that fiscal changes were needed. The reform sought to impose a 5 percent tax on retiree and disability pensions while increasing social security contributions by up to 22.5 percent. The move unleashed large-scale protests nationwide, which have been the biggest challenge Ortega has faced during his modern tenure.

Nicaragua crisis explained State repression and clergy mediation The pension plan was abandoned but protests continued, demanding Ortega's ouster. UN Human Rights experts denounced the state's harsh repression. As the death toll rose, Nicaragua's Catholic Church has demanded that Ortega allow international organizations entry to Nicaragua to help investigate the deaths and tried to set up talks between the opposition and the government.

Nicaragua crisis explained Government and opposition sit down The opposition, comprised of students and a wide range of civil society groups, sat down with the government for a round of talks on May 16. The Clergy said the talks would be focused on "justice, democratization, and peace." The opposition's main demand: new presidential elections in 2019. The government rejected the demands and talks broke down.

Nicaragua crisis explained Catholic Church under fire Bishops and priests in the strongly Catholic country have played a key role in the crisis. In addition to mediating the peace talks that stalled in June, the bishops have also seconded the call for new elections. Ortega has described the bishops as "coup-plotters" against him, and Catholic leaders have faced threats, harassment and attacks. Protesters have marched in support of the priests.

Nicaragua crisis explained Students as prime targets University students have been the vanguard of the anti-Ortega movement. Many violent crackdowns have taken place on university campuses, often involving heavy gunfire. While the students say that paramilitaries loyal to Ortega are behind the shootings, the president denies that the armed individuals are under government control. He has also described the protesters as "terrorists" and "criminals."

Nicaragua crisis explained Stalemate and instability The death toll in four months of violence has risen to over 300 according to human rights activists, though the Ortega government says it's around 200. Protesters continue to take to the streets, describing torture, blacklists and job dismissals as repercussions for their demonstrations. In addition, the UN says over 20,000 people have sought asylum in Costa Rica in a crisis with no end in sight. Author: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez



Activists: Government 'makes up crimes'

Braulio Abarca, a young lawyer from the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (NCHR), told DW that activists face a great deal of frustration, but insisted that they needed to stay strong for the families. "They have placed of their hopes on our work," Abarca said.

The director of the Permanent Commission for Human Rights in Nicaragua, Carla Sequeira, was also at the jail and echoed the sentiments of the NCHR's Abarca, adding that even her human rights activist husband was being held too.

The government is "making up crimes" to frame innocent people for the deaths of those killed during the anti-government protests, Sequeira told DW. "They have to blame someone and they won't blame themselves."

"People have all been detained for going to a demonstration, for participating in a street blockade, for bringing food to students behind barricades or for even taking a photo with a Nicaraguan flag and posting it on Facebook," she said.

Read more: Will Nicaragua be the next Venezuela?

Fearing the worst

Family members camping outside of El Chipote have set up tents to shelter themselves from the rain and sun, distribute meals to the group and otherwise organize advocacy efforts. But many have covered their faces and protected their identity for fear of reprisals.

Migdalia Lopez and her daughter Ivania Cruz were too sad to eat lunch. Both are desperately looking for several brothers and friends. They know some are in detention, but have been generally missing from Diriamba since last Sunday.

Lopez cried as she told DW that she worried about the wellbeing of her 29-year-old son, Richard, who is transgender and goes by the name of Kishia Kristelia. She feared he would be tortured and raped in detention.

Lopez fears her transgender son is subjected to rape and torture in detention

Auxiliadora Diaz, another frightened mother, is searching for her 37-year-old son, Bismarck Arias, who disappeared last Sunday from the city of Jinotepe, also south of Managua and not far from Diriamba. Arias was opening up his shop when pro-government forces descended on the town. A neighbor witnessed the police take him away in the middle of a firefight.

"We looked for him at the police station and he doesn't appear on their lists. They don't even let us report him as missing," Diaz told DW.

She broke down crying as she recounted the only answer she got from authorities — the suggestion that she should look for him "at the morgue or out in the jungle," where bodies are found everyday.