On March 17, a rock guitarist and a former Miss Nicaragua arrived smiling at a busy food truck spot in Managua, Nicaraguaâs capital, to drink craft beer. All eyes were on the couple. Outside on the street, four patrol cars were parked with more than a dozen police officers inside. The surprise? Juan Carlos Ortega Murillo and Xiomara Blandino, the son and daughter-in-law of the countryâs vice president were out socializing. They had not been seen in public since April 2018, when protests broke out across the country against the government. The image was reminiscent of the days when Juan Carlos, an inveterate rocker, played bass guitar in concerts with his band Ciclo. The days before Nicaraguans took to the streets in their thousands to protest against the government, and a brutal crackdown in response caused the deaths of more than 320 protesters. The coupleâs return to public life seems to indicate that the stay-at-home order imposed by Juan Carlosâs mother, Vice President Rosario Murillo, is over.