Mayhem and Murder

The modest temblor chronicled in the last post seems likely to be related to even more dramatic geologic activity that has ensued in the vicinity of Lake Managua. Majestic Vulcan Momotombo sits on the northern shore of the lake, opposite the city of Managua, and provided my friend and me long lovely vistas en route north to Leon last week. It smoked in the morning, but as we passed on our return trip, it was quiet. Then, two days ago, a blast of gas and ash erupted from the flank of the cone. Within 24 hours, pyroclastic outflow and spouting lava were visible in the night sky, and the residents of nearby La Paz were being evacuated. Corresponding seismic activity was also being recorded throughout the volcanic episode, which, as I write, continues.

La Prensa ran this upper foto on day one, and later that night, the second view.

Momotombo has not had such a significant eruption in well over a century; it remains to be seen if the event will end quickly and if the volcano will be noticeably changed.

The lives of foreign residents of the Carazo coast—extranjeros—were jolted as well this past Monday morning. Word spread quickly about the apparent murder of one of our number, a Canadian national well-known to the expat community as a successful businessman who spent time each year in his waterfront villa, just a long city block from our house. He had arrived for an extended visit just about three weeks ago. He dropped by to chat with my landlady, who introduced us. I did not get a chance to know him. He was my age, single, with a daughter in Canada. He had what seems to have been a sort of relationship with a young Nicaraguan woman 40 years his junior.

She was with him Sunday night at his house. The cuidador, or security guard, was away, and several young men entered the property and tied up the owner and killed him via blows to the head with a large pipe, possibly a fire extinguisher, according to rumor. The woman was also tied up, according to the newspaper accounts. The man's SUV was missing, presumed stolen. There was a power outage that night—I know, because I could not sleep without the electric fan. It meant that the property's security cameras were not functioning. The vehicle was found the next day, miles away, abandoned.

Today, the newspaper reported that the young woman and four young men have been arrested. This would bear out the suspicions of many of the expats who posit that the man was hoping to pursue a more satisfactory relationship with someone who suited him better. If the young woman suspected she was soon to be dropped, well, it seems not a great leap to imagine what might ensue. Her mother defended her in the papers. The incident sends a chill into Nicaragua's efforts to attract extranjeros to invest in living here. We all expect a speedy resolution, in the interest of demonstrating the country's zero tolerance of this crime. Let us hope justice is also served within those time constraints.