Nicaragua

Managua

As in most of the Central American countries it has been politics that have been disastrous for Nicaragua. Basically during almost the whole 20th century fighting has been going on. The most infamous civil war being the Sandinistas against the former Somoza regime eventually culminating in the Iran-Contra affair, with again a shiny role for the US.
Somehow ex-president Ortega made his way back from exclusion and is once more president now. One could say he has a chance to clean up his own mess. I’m not really sure if that’s what’s happening however.

But I’m not here for national politics although they always of course have their effect on daily life in the Streets of the capitals. I’m here to get a glimpse of what’s happening in these Streets in the centre of Managua. A problem is however: Managua doesn’t have a centre. That’s a first one. A capital without a centre. Sadly enough this has all to do with the frequent earthquakes that hit this city. After the last big one the government decided not to rebuild the old centre but build around the faults in somewhat safer locations.

While driving around town I saw these small food stalls grilling lunch for the people waiting at the Social Services Building next door. Many of them were old, sick or poor. I thought it was as good a place as any to capture daily life in the capital without a centre.