Gov’t eyes repatriation amid Nicaragua unrest

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) offered yesterday to repatriate Filipinos from Nicaragua which is experiencing civil unrest.

In a statement, the DFA said none of the 86 Filipinos in Nicaragua have so far been affected by the discord but it added that it is ready to bring Filipinos home anytime.

“We would like to assure our countrymen in Nicaragua that we are ready to fly them home anytime,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.

“In the meantime, we urge them to remain vigilant and to be ready for any eventuality,” he added.

Cayetano said three Filipinos had availed of the DFA’s voluntary repatriation offer. The three were flown out of Managua on 8 July and arrived in Manila on 10 July.

Cayetano said the Philippine Embassy in Mexico led by Ambassador Demetrio Tuason continues to monitor the situation in Nicaragua since rioting and looting erupted in various parts of the country in April.

Tuason had dispatched a team to Managua to assess the situation.

The team, led by Consul Ma. Carmela Teresa Cabrera, met with members of the Filipino community and assured them of the government’s concern for their safety and well-being.

The crisis in Nicaragua was triggered by the government’s new policies intended to shore up the country’s social security system by reducing benefits and increasing taxes.

Despite the withdrawal of the proposed changes by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, violence in areas outside Managua and in the provinces has significantly escalated.

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