Nepal is experiencing one of its worst political and social crises in decades.
The trigger was the government's decision to block more than 20 social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and YouTube.
The measure was justified on the grounds that the companies had not met the registration requirements with the Ministry of Communications, under a new law regulating the internet.
However, the ban was immediately interpreted as an act of censorship. Millions of citizens abroad rely on these apps to communicate with their families, and within the country, the networks function as classrooms, workspaces, and outlets for young people.
The role of Generation Z
What began as a protest against censorship quickly transformed into a youth uprising against corruption and nepotism. University students and groups calling themselves "Generation Z" took to the streets of Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Itahari. Their banners displayed slogans such as "Nepo Kids" and "Nepo Babies," a denunciation of the lavish lifestyles of politicians' children, which contrasts with the lack of opportunities for the majority.
The frustration runs deep: since 2008, when the monarchy was abolished, Nepal has had 14 governments in power, none of them completing a full term. Added to this is youth unemployment hovering around 20 percent, more than double the national average.
Violence in the streets
The state's response was forceful. Police used water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, and even live ammunition against the protesters. Organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch denounced the use of lethal force and demanded independent investigations.
The clashes left at least 22 dead, according to Kathmandu hospital figures, in addition to hundreds more injured. The international airport was temporarily closed, and government buildings, including Parliament and the Supreme Court, were set ablaze after being overrun by crowds.
The fall of the prime minister
Given the scale of the uprising, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned with immediate effect, admitting that the situation was unsustainable. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak also resigned, stating that he was doing so for moral reasons following the deaths during the protests.
Oli's departure, far from calming the situation, intensified the sense of a power vacuum. The military temporarily assumed control of national security in an attempt to stem the wave of unrest.
A rebellion unlike any other
Nepal has a long tradition of protest movements, from the struggle for democracy in 1990 to the 2006 demonstrations that brought down the monarchy. But this time the dynamic is different: there is no clear leadership or centralized ideology. This is a decentralized, spontaneous, and massive movement, in which young people demand transparency, dignity, and accountability.
According to experts, what's unusual is that the protests aren't questioning electoral legitimacy, but rather the traditional political parties, which they accuse of having become mafias interested in controlling strategic economic sectors rather than serving the public.
What comes
The immediate future is uncertain. The reversal of the social media ban and the prime minister's resignation could open a space for dialogue, but discontent will not disappear unless the structural causes: corruption, nepotism, and youth unemployment are addressed.
Analysts envision three scenarios: a temporary lull without real changes, profound reforms with greater youth participation in politics, or an escalation of repression that prolongs the crisis.
The only thing that is clear is that the memory of the young people killed and the burning of Parliament will remain engraved as symbols of a generation that no longer accepts corruption as the norm.