[Iran Press TV Latest] Thousands of pro- and anti-government protesters have taken to the streets of Managua, protesting and supporting Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's bid to remain in power.
Chanting "Democracy yes, dictatorship no!" Ortega opponents, numbered at 50,000 by organizers, marched peacefully in Managua to protest against his controversial re-election plans, even as thousands of the president's supporters gathered for their own demonstration.
Security was heavy in the capital following provocative gestures earlier in the week by both sides which suggested there could be clashes between the two demonstrating groups, AFP reported on Saturday.
Several groups led the opposition event, and many waved blue and white Nicaraguan national flags as supporters of opposition political parties, thousands of whom flooded into the city from the countryside to protest, as did business groups and representatives of the powerful Catholic Church.
The two marches originally had been called for the same time on nearly the same route, but the risk of violence prompted the pro-government rally to be moved to the afternoon.
Securing the ability to seek re-election has been a key strategy for leftist regional allies Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Rafael Correa in Ecuador, and Evo Morales in Bolivia, among others.
Ousted president Manuel Zelaya of neighboring Honduras was thought to have been developing such plans when an army-backed coup toppled him in June.
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