How Badly Is Nicaragua Really Burning?

It’s difficult to tell, from the humid safety of my semi-hermit existence on the island of Kauai, what exactly is going on in Nicaragua.

Hundreds of people have died. Precise numbers, who they were, and why it happened, is a matter of debate. Especially if one relies solely on online resources.

Ideological agendas paint pictures that are diametrically opposed. Sources of violence depend on the political slant of whoever delivers your news. Is it the students? The paramilitary forces? The police?

Are bad actors performing false flag attacks, burning businesses in order to turn public sentiment against protesters?

Can a gringo find answers? Does it matter if he does? Considering the history of American interventionism in Central America, and in Nicaragua in particular, mightn’t it be best to stay the hell out of things? Leave Nicaraguans to sort it out for themselves?

Probably.

But I love Nicaragua. I love Nicaraguans. Their black bean gallo pinto. Their slightly reticent hospitality. The country is one to which I keep coming back. Despite the fact that trekking there from the remote archipelago I call home is a torturous ordeal requiring multiple airlines, a detour through Texas, and seemingly countless hours trapped in too small economy-class seats wishing I’d had the foresight to score some Xanax prior to boarding.

Tourism is nearly non-existent at the moment. Fear of violence has led to cancellations, changes of plans. The majority of hotels, camps, hostels, and resorts have been forced to close their doors, or cut staff down to skeleton crew, due to lack of business.

For approximately the last decade Nicaragua has been the go-to destination for those looking to score offshore winds and thumping beach break barrels without the crowds or cost of Costa Rica. What was once a country wherein solitude was a matter of course has become more than slightly crowded, whether you’re battling the crowd at Manzanilla, slogging through wasted GAP years in San Juan Del Sur, or enjoying the spectacular foodie scene in Granada.

One of our vicious comment leaving nerds called me out last month when I first wrote about the unrest.

“just to be sure, Rory, are you planning a trip in Nicaragua in the near future? 🙂 ” [sic]

                                        – Yael Fregier

It took a moment to suss out details, but the answer is ‘Yes.’

I’ll be in Nicaragua for the next couple weeks. Attempting to understand how bad the situation has become, from the fighting in the population centers, to the difficulties faced by communities that have become increasingly reliant on tourism to survive. I’ll be talking to operators and employees of surf camps, picking Nicos minds about their government.

And, hopefully, scoring a few empty beach break barrels along the way.