Nicaraguan cowboys: ‘Chinese go home, and take Ortega with you!’

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — The crowd erupted in wild cheers as the caravan of cattle trucks lumbered into Managua carrying several thousand cowboys to join today’s march against a $50 billion Chinese canal that’s scheduled to break ground on Dec. 22.

The caravan from the interior of the countryside took nearly 20 hours to arrive, and was stopped eight times by police roadblocks. Drivers’ licenses were confiscated and several people were arrested. Similar police roadblocks along choke points to the north and south of the capital succeeded in preventing hundreds of other protesters from arriving in the capital.

But the cowboys from the interior of the country — those living along the canal route mapped for Chinese expropriation next month — pushed past the police blockades without a second thought. It was just the first shove in what’s gearing up to be a long fight.

“Here we are — Chontales, Nueva Guinea, Rio San Juan — giving you people from Managua a lesson in how to defend your country!” yelled one muddy-booted cowboy as he jumped down from the back of the truck.

The cowboys’ arrival breathed new energy into Nicaragua’s anti-canal movement, and lent an immediate gravitas to the march. Some of the campesinos came looking for a fight. “Where are the motorizados! Bring ‘em on!” yelled one cowboy, referring to the Sandinista motorcycle gangs that usually terrorize opposition marches.