The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. April 23, 2018 Nicaraguan President Scraps Pension Rollback as Protest Death Toll Hits 26 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Nicaragua, President Daniel Ortega has canceled unpopular plans to raise taxes while cutting pension benefits, after the death toll from resulting protests rose to at least 26 over the weekend. Human rights groups have accused police of using live rounds on demonstrators. Among those killed was reporter Ángel Gahona, who was shot dead as he broadcast coverage of the protests on Facebook Live. The protests erupted last Wednesday as the government moved to decrease people's pensions even as it requires workers and employers to contribute more money to the social security system. .