Thousands of people protested against the construction of a canal in Nicaragua

Managua - About five thousand people from across the country protested on Wednesday in the Nicaraguan capital, Managua, against the planned construction of a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The demonstrators also called for the departure of the Chinese company HKND Group, which is responsible for implementing the $50 billion (approximately 1.1 trillion CZK) project, reported BBC.
Participants in the protest, many of whom came from rural areas, shouted anti-government slogans and demanded the project be halted. People living along the route of the planned canal are concerned about being expropriated without compensation and losing agricultural land on which they financially depend.
Local farmers were joined by several environmental activists who are worried about the negative impact on the environment, particularly on Lake Nicaragua, through which the canal is supposed to pass. The largest lake in Central America is an important source of drinking water.
According to some activists, police prevented many villagers who wanted to participate in the protest from entering the capital.
The Nicaraguan government already rejected most complaints about the construction in November. The project is said to have minimal impacts on environmental quality and will also create up to 50,000 new jobs in one of the poorest countries in Central America.
Construction work on the 278-kilometer-long canal is set to begin on December 22. The link between the two oceans is expected to be completed by 2019 and will reportedly be wider and deeper than the competing Panama Canal. In addition to the canal, the project includes the construction of two ports, an airport, and an industrial zone.
Behind the canal plan is Chinese entrepreneur Wang Jing. However, he has no prior experience in developing or financing such large infrastructure projects. The HKND Group was only founded by Wang in August 2012, raising questions about the viability of the project.