Surviving the streets: How Managuans navigate a rising tide of crime and insecurity

A family was targeted by thieves on Managua’s public transit. Many others have narrowly escaped being robbed or have witnessed assaults firsthand. Every day, thousands of Nicaraguans confront the threat of crime as they commute to work, school, university, and beyond

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Divergentes

After shopping at Iván Montenegro Market last weekend, 58-year-old Josefa boarded the bus home. As usual, it quickly filled up, and she had to jostle for space. When she finally stepped off at her stop, she noticed her bag felt lighter—and her worst fears were confirmed.

A precise slit, almost as if it had been made with a box cutter, ran down her shopping bag. Gone were the mortadella, sausage, some vegetables, and 900 córdobas—her budget for the rest of the month. The bus had been so packed that she hadn’t seen anyone suspicious. Thankfully, her phone and wallet, which held her cards and ID, were untouched. “Thank goodness,” she says. Getting those back would have been a nightmare.

Josefa laments that this type of theft isn’t new but is becoming all too common. That same week, other family members had also been robbed or witnessed thefts on Managua’s public transit. The streets and public transport feel increasingly unsafe, with no end in sight.

“I go to work every day and do my weekly shopping. I can’t afford to take a cab every day—I’d starve if I did. I have to go back to the market next weekend, but now I’m scared every time I get on the bus. If it’s not the bus I’m worried about, it’s the bus stop or the street on my way home,” she explains.

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Her oldest son was recently robbed on the same route. For their safety, Josefa asked that their names be kept anonymous. After his university classes, 23-year-old Manuel took the bus home. When he got off, he found his backpack unzipped and his phone gone. “I’m always careful with my bag, but for just a moment I looked away—and that was it,” he says.

Witnesses to robberies

Surviving the streets
According to statements from the National Police, they are in permanent security operations, but this does not stop robberies. Divergentes | Taken from the National Police

Josefa’s younger son, Fernando, didn’t get robbed, but he witnessed a robbery on another route. Two men stole a woman’s phone. One managed to escape, while the other was cornered by passengers who demanded he return the phone.

The bus driver locked the doors and changed course toward the nearest police station. But on the way, he collided with a motorcycle and had to stop. When Fernando got off, passengers were still grappling with the thief.

All of these incidents happened in the same week, in broad daylight. And they are just a fraction of the daily experiences Nicaraguans face as they commute.

Some thefts happen silently, a hand sneaking into a bag or pocket, unnoticed until much later. Others occur through armed robberies, involving thieves on foot, motorcycles, or even cars, targeting pedestrians, bus stops, and shopping centers alike. Going out in Nicaragua is a gamble against becoming a robbery statistic.

People don’t report thefts

Surviving the streets
A Chevrolet car without license plate has been recorded stealing on different security cameras. Divergentes | Taken from social media.

Some have been lucky enough to escape these attacks. Rosa, 73, was returning from the hospital by bus on September 23. Normally, she takes a cab for safety, but this time she decided to save some money.

As Rosa was getting ready to get off the bus, a woman behind her moved in close. Despite Rosa’s efforts to put some space between them, the woman kept pressing in until Rosa felt hands in her pockets. She screamed, and the woman bolted before anyone could react.

“I was just about to step off, and there she was, right up against me. I didn’t want to assume the worst, but then she actually tried to go through my pockets. I screamed, and she took off running. Everyone on the bus was just shocked,” she recalls.

Rosa has heard similar stories from neighbors. Victims range from men and women to elderly folks, teens walking to school with phones in hand, and even people simply sitting outside their homes—anyone who looks like an easy target.

Many people share security footage on social media, capturing these thefts in action. One particularly notorious video shows a black Chevrolet involved in multiple robberies around the city. Despite the public’s awareness, there have been no reports of arrests.

These thefts all share a common result: impunity. Many don’t bother reporting them because, as Josefa says, “What’s the point? The police won’t do anything.”

Rosa agrees. She had to move two years ago because a neighbor would break into her home repeatedly, stealing whatever he could find. Even after her daughters confronted him and reported his whereabouts to the police, no investigation or arrest followed.

“I had to leave because I was alone, dealing with this dangerous man every night. Now, the tenants renting my place say he’s back at it. Last time, he stole all the light bulbs. Sometimes, he even walks on the roof,” she says.

Nicaraguans feel insecurity has increased

Surviving the streets
Massive releases of common prisoners are one of the factors that increase insecurity in the country, according to security specialist Elvira Cuadra. Divergentes : Taken from the Ministry of Interior.

According to the report Perception of Nicaragua’s Political, Social, and Economic Reality, 78.2% of Nicaraguans feel that insecurity has worsened. This means eight in ten Nicaraguans don’t feel safe in their own country.

The study highlights a widespread belief that public security policies are inadequate to combat crime. The presence of armed civilians roaming the streets with impunity has also contributed to this insecurity, facilitated by the authorities to target political dissidents.

Sociologist Elvira Cuadra explains that the victimization rate has risen in recent years, with more people becoming crime victims. Security is now seen as the second biggest problem in Nicaragua, surpassed only by economic struggles. However, when asked about their immediate surroundings, security concerns become more prominent.

Cuadra points out that crime rates were already rising before 2018. The current government, led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, has only exacerbated the issue, fueling common crime and violence.

“The Nicaraguan state itself has become a perpetrator of violence, not just indirectly but as an instigator of other forms of violence,” she says. Nicaraguans now not only fear crime but also state violence.

According to her, the population lives in a state of “ontological insecurity,” fearing not only for their physical safety but also for the country’s future.


The information we publish in DIVERGENTES comes from contrasted sources. Due to the situation in the region, many times, we are forced to protect them under pseudonymity or anonymity. Unfortunately, some governments in the region, including the Nicaraguan regime, do not provide information or censor independent media. For this reason, despite requesting it, we cannot rely on official, authorized versions. We resort to data analysis, anonymous internal sources, or limited information from the official media. These are the conditions under which we exercise a profession that, in many cases, costs us our safety and our lives. We will continue to report.