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‘A person in a coma in hospital? How can he participate in a criminal act?’
Gamaliel Leiva is speaking about his late son, Ezequiel. Ezequiel was one of the thousands of young Nicaraguans who took to the streets in April 2018 protesting increased taxes and decreased benefits imposed by President Daniel Ortega.
In May, when the protests had become more violent, Ezequiel was shot by a sniper. The next month, while he was still in hospital, he was charged with the murder of American citizen Sixto Henry Vera.
"The only thing he was doing was working, defending the very same situation that is the oppression of the people," Gamaliel adds.
"He is a victim. He is a victim who was murdered by the Government."
