Nicaragua's President Enrique Bolanos on Monday saluted Nicaraguan immigrants marching for rights in the United States, as thousands of Nicaraguans took to streets in Nicaragua demanding better jobs.

"I hope that Nicaraguans in the U.S. reach their goal" of obtaining permanent status, Bolanos told a meeting of the unions and business leaders.

Thousands of Latin American immigrants in the U.S. were celebrating Labor Day by marching to demand that the U.S. Congress halt a law that would criminalize undocumented migration and deport illegal immigrants.

"In Nicaragua we are making new advances toward a more dignified life for all our citizens, within the country's capacity," Bolanos said.

But thousands of followers of the pro-Sandinista National Workers Front (FNT) were marching in the east of the capital on Monday protesting the government's neo-liberal policy.

The demonstrators carried U.S. and Nicaraguan flags, supporting their countrymen's protests in the U.S. as well as demanding more and better-paid jobs in Nicaragua.

Bus workers stopped the operation of about 450 out of 900 buses in Manguas, and raised bus fares to pressure the Congress to approve a subsidy that would help them deal with rising oil prices.

Source: Xinhua