Ortega supporters invade basilica

DIRIAMBA— Hundreds of supporters of under-pressure Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega broke into a basilica in an opposition heartland on Monday and harassed Roman Catholic bishops at the heart of a mediation process.

The attack came a day after at least 14 people died in a raid by a progovernment mob in the areas of Diriamba and Jinotepe, 20 kilometers (13 miles) from the opposition bastion of Masaya, in the Central American country's southeast.

Prior to Monday's invasion of the Diriamba basilica, dozens of chanting government supporters, some hurling insults, blocked a church convoy heading there with Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes and Apostolic Nuncio Stanislaw Waldemar Sommertag.

"Murderers," "liars" and "sons of bitches" were among the barbs flung the church convoy's way, while others government supporters shouted: "We want peace" and "no more roadblocks."

Protesters in the area had barricaded roads to keep out police.

The influential Roman Catholic church has been mediating between Ortega's government and the opposition to end three months of unrest that has left more than 240 people dead.

Protesters want the resignation of Ortega, whom they accuse of authoritarianism.

Church leaders were surrounded upon arriving at the Diriamba basilica and struggled to enter the building.

They had come from the capital Managua to help liberate a group of people, including volunteer medics, trapped inside the basilica since Sunday's violence and surrounded by progovernment supporters.

"We don't have weapons, the weapon here is prayer," a medic told AFP from inside the basilica. "They were attacking us from outside."

Not only church leaders and medics came under attack. An AFP photographer in Diriamba was struck and robbed of his equipment.

"It was horrible, they took his mobile phone and robbed him of everything," said AFP journalist Isabel Sanchez.