This is the press release from the governmental firefighters office, 2 km away from where a fire killed 6 people, including two infants early on the morning of June 16th. Later that morning there was another session of the National Dialogue, and the Civic Alliance participated in protest, claiming hooded para-police forces were responsible for the fire, which started when the family refused to let their building be used by pro government snipers. The Foreign Minister read this statement from the firefighters as part of his opening statement that morning in National Dialogue. Later independent media revealed that these firefighters never responded to the fire, but rather volunteer firemen from a station 7 kms away.
GENERAL OFFFICE OF FIREFIGHTERS OF NICARAGUA
PRESS RELEASE
(See original Spanish at https://www.el19digital.com/articulos/ver/titulo:78055-bomberos-afirman-que-delincuentes-encapuchados-incendiaron-casa-en-el-barrio-carlos-marx)
The General Firefighters Office of Nicaragua, through this document, makes known:
That today Saturday June 16, 2018 at 6:47 am, it responded to a fire in a multi-story home located in Managua, in the Carlos Marx neighborhood, from the stoplight of the Miguel Gutiérrez Colonia, 4 blocks west, on the right, which was used as a home and business where foam mattresses were made, which is a highly flammable material; with the result of 4 adults deceased (2 women and 2 men) and 3 minors who were transported in private vehicles to the German Hospital.
Neighbors of the sector said that hooded criminals had been stalking the sector for various weeks, threw molotov cocktails into the home causing the fire that quickly spread because of the large amount of flammable material that was found inside the home.
It is worth pointing out that the moment the firefighters arrived to control the fire, they were not able to intervene quickly because the doors of the building were locked, having to make use of technical measures to work on putting out the fire; that while the firemen were carrying out the work of putting out the fire, they were being besieged and attacked by hooded groups.
Issued in the city of Managua on the sixteenth day of the month of June of two thousand and eighteen.
Ramón Landero
General Director [Illegible Signature]
[SEAL of Director]