Nicaraguan Student Movement Presents Ultimatum to Ortega

They demand the presence of the UN and the IACHR in Nicaragua to investigate deaths

HAVANA TIMES – Nicaraguan university students demand that the government of Daniel Ortega allow the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the United Nations Office of the Rapporteur on Human Rights to investigate the deaths and alleged torture of young people detained during the recent protests in this Central American country, reported dpa news.

“We demand that the State of Nicaragua accept in no less than seven days that the IACHR and the human rights rapporteurs of the UN come to investigate what happened,” said a statement issued on Wednesday night (local) by the April 19^th University Movement (M19A), in the forefront of the protests that continue.  (See video below in Spanish)

Víctor Quadras, a spokesperson for the movement that emerged with the protests in mid-April said that if the government does not comply with that demand, “we will increase our resistance until we reach a national strike” because “the crimes cannot go unpunished.”

The government said that 10 people died in the first days of the protests and then stopped counting, but the independent Nicaraguan Permanent Commission of Human Rights assures that the deceased were 63. Another death was confirmed Wednesday, when a young man wounded by gunshot died in a hospital in Ciudad Sandino, on the outskirts of Managua.

“We are giving the government an ultimatum, the people are demanding justice for the murdered, the wounded and the disappeared, families are suffering and have not received any answers,” said Quadras.

He added that international experts should also investigate disappearances and allegations of torture of detainees in police cells, and the physical attacks on journalists by alleged government activists and official censorship of the media.

The protests began in mid-April over a presidential decree that reformed the Social Security law. Ortega increased the monthly contributions of employees and companies, and reduced by 5 percent the pensions of retirees. After the violent action of the Police and government shock forces against the peaceful protestors, the demonstrations extended to 14 cities across the country.

The demand for the presence of a mission of the IACHR and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is also part of a “Citizen’s Declaration” signed by former guerrillas, commanders and former Sandinista officials.

“We demand the establishment of a United Nations mechanism, such as the International Commission against Impunity, visit Nicaragua (CICIN)” to investigate the deaths in the country, said the statement.

The CICIN would also have to verify “the existence of partisan / paramilitary forces that act in coordination with the police” to repress peaceful demonstrations and to persecute opponents, they said.

Despite the demand of students and other sectors, the Government of Nicaragua is not obliged to convene the IACHR and the UN High Commissioner, because the State has not ratified the Rome Statute, as acknowledged by the signatories.

Former Sandinista Commander Monica Baltodano, who signed the Citizenship Pronouncement, said what happened in Nicaragua two weeks ago was “a blatant massacre” of civilians by the police that cannot be investigated by partial local authorities.

“Due to the seriousness of this massacre and the human rights violations reported, there is no possibility of it being investigated by any authority in Nicaragua, because everything is part of a framework controlled by the presidential couple” Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, Baltodano warned.

Speaking to channel 12 TV, Baltodano said that the crisis of governability in the country “will only be resolved with the departure of Ortega and Murillo (…) a couple that has perpetuated itself in power, has been enriched and has nothing to do with revolution or the Left.”

In her opinion, the possible dialogue with the mediation of the Catholic Church will have to “bring about early elections, reform the electoral law and radically change the electoral authorities to make them function independently.”