Local Nicaraguan tour operators and surfers told DUKE that while the country is mired in a socio-political crisis, with protests, looting and deaths in the capital, Managua, life on the beach has not changed.

Two weeks ago, after President Daniel Ortega decreed a reduction in pensions and an increase in taxes, the Nicaraguan people took to the streets to protest. This unleashed a major wave of violence that has not yet officially determined the number of deaths; some say 43 and the government says less.

The number of surfers who travel to the eternal offshore country is huge and the concern about doing so is also huge. The United States Department of Foreign Relations launched an alert regarding the situation. One of our interviewees said that it was “a gringo thing.”

Below, three Nicaraguans describe the situation from their perspective:

Manny Resano
Great location

The truth is that everything is fine. In fact, people are coming to surf..

It was a genuine and spontaneous movement of the people, which was poorly managed from the beginning and got out of control. In any case, everything was fine on the beach. I happened to be in Managua during the movements and I felt safe, the protesters were not violent.

The problem is that 63 people died, a very large and unnecessary number.

Iñigo Belartieta Lasa
Director of Mola Mola Surfcamp

Everyone who has contacted me on this issue, I have always told them the same thing: It is a national conflict that had to happen sooner or later because this is not a democracy, this is what it is and it has to happen for the good of the people and as far as it affects us it is practically nothing, because at no time do you have to go through any conflict from the moment you arrive at the airport in Managua.

You get off the plane without any problem, take a taxi and it takes you down the road to Granada, straight to the beach. We are quite isolated, so it doesn't bother you at all.

The gringos, who are more catastrophic and alarmist, sent a notification from the embassy, ​​but that's gringo stuff.

The logistics have not changed at all, there is nothing that has changed because there have already been these problems in the country. Everything remains the same, the good surf season starts now, with the first good swell the week before.

This week we have 2 to 4 feet with a little bit of crosswind, but hey, there are waves.

And nothing, happy, yes it will affect, it will affect people who think about going to Nicaragua or any other place, that is, instead of clicking on Nicaragua click anywhere else, but the country is calm and even if it weren't, as I repeated, you wouldn't notice, because we are super far from civilization.

Matthew Blevins
Director at Nica Times

The protests are still going on and people are determined that they want change. The first five days there was violence from the presidency, which killed some people protesting. Then there was looting and all that.

That is over and all the marches that have taken place are peaceful. From the airport to Colorados you don't go through anything that is going to be a nuisance. It is a direct trip to the beach and there are no problems.

The nation is at peace and there is no civil war or anything like that. People just don't agree with the deaths in the first protests and they continue protesting and are talking about meeting with the Supreme Court to remove Ortega, but who knows if they will succeed in doing so.