Thousands march for Nicaragua's Ortega after protest

By Ivan Castro

MANAGUA (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people filled Nicaragua's capital on Saturday to celebrate the country's 1979 leftist revolution, giving a lift to President Daniel Ortega as his government faces simmering protests.

Waving red and black flags and cheering under exploding fireworks, the crowd heard a barrage of speeches by the region's leftist leaders, including Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez.

Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla and Cold War-era foe of the United States, was elected for a second stint in power in 2006.

But opposition groups have organized large marches against him in recent weeks for banning two small political parties from local elections and failing to keep down rising food and energy prices, hitting poverty stricken Nicaragua hard.

Chavez, a vocal critic of President George W. Bush, said any internal opposition came from U.S. "lackeys."

Wearing his signature red shirt, Chavez was flanked by Paraguayan President-elect Fernando Lugo.

This week an alliance of conservatives and center-leftists disillusioned with Ortega's leadership organized the biggest protest he has faced since returning to power.

But the anniversary rally drew thousands more people and Chavez brushed off Ortega's detractors.  Continued...