Defiant ruling party supporters celebrate in Nicaragua

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — Nicaragua’s ruling Sandinista political machine has mobilized a few thousand of its faithful to celebrate the government’s decision to expel 222 opposition leaders, activists, priests, students and journalists. Waving the red and black flags of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, marchers on Saturday carried out the sort of peaceful public demonstration that the government has denied to the opposition in recent years. President Daniel Ortega has called the prisoners “terrorists” who were sponsored by the U.S. government and sought to destabilize their government. They were given humanitarian parole for two years in the United States.