NICARAGUA will establish a further 10,000 reconciliation, justice & peace commissions across the country throughout December, Sandinista government official Carlos Emilio Lopez announced yesterday.

Mr Lopez explained that they “will become the social movement, the largest community movement in the history of Nicaragua,” with every region, town and neighbourhood having a commission.

Almost 6,000 peace commissions have already been established in a government drive to heal wounds following last year’s violent right-wing attempted coup.

Monday’s announcement detailed new commissions targeting rural areas and mining communities as the government expands its efforts to bring stability to Nicaragua.

Mr Lopez explained the commissions will be made up of men and women, volunteers “of good will and with a grateful heart” who want to see tranquillity and harmony in their communities.

“They are made up of community leaders, evangelical leaders and pastors, who have a very important participation. Different Christian denominations are integrated within these commissions.

“There is also a lay Catholic leadership, delegates and other people who assume some kind of leadership outside the ecclesiastical structure but, despite their secularism, assume a role within the Catholic Church.

“Natural community leaders, nurses, midwives, prestigious teachers, athletes, artists, older adults are also participating,” he said.

The Sandinista government also announced the development of a chapter of the World Peace Council in Nicaragua.

“The reconciliation, justice & peace commissions today are going to take an unprecedented historical leap,” Mr Lopez said.

“[The] commissions have been working for human understanding, concord, peaceful coexistence, the spirit of solidarity, of brotherhood that must prevail among all Nicaraguans to bury all forms of violence, all ways of disagreement and misunderstanding and that Nicaraguans can assume a culture where we resolve all our differences through the word, through dialogue,” he said.