Amnesty Int. Reports Ongoing Repression in Nicaragua
Amnesty International’s latest report notes the Nicaraguan dictatorship’s persistent use of banishment, denationalization and arbitrary detention in 2024, aimed at dissenters, NGOs, the Catholic Church and the press.
HAVANA TIMES – The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, continues to “repress” and “criminalize” dissidents, NGOs, the Catholic Church and other religious groups, and independent media, according to the annual report of Amnesty International.
In its report, the prestigious organization denounced that the Sandinista regime, in power since 2007, continued to expel, denationalize and arbitrarily detain dissidents and others, “exposing them to severe vulnerability and violation of their rights,” and that impunity prevailed.
In January 2024, 19 representatives of the Nicaraguan Catholic Church, among them Bishop Rolando Alvarez, who had been in prison for more than a year, were expelled and stripped of their nationality, according to the report.
Meanwhile, in September of that year, authorities expelled to Guatemala another 135 Nicaraguans who had been imprisoned for political reasons, some for over two years.
“Since the expulsions started in 2023, more than 400 individuals have been left without access to their property, facing restrictions on their rights and freedoms, and encountering serious difficulties integrating into host countries,” Amnesty International warned.
In addition, the report cited findings of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, established by the United Nations, indicating that the expulsion of Nicaraguans and foreign residents without any due process not only stripped the former of their nationality, but also left them in an extremely vulnerable situation and reinforced the climate of terror for those who could be seen as critics of the government.
Ortega seeks to silence the media
In other areas, the 2024 report notes: “authorities imposed strict restrictions on the media, threatening freedom of expression.” The document continues: “Authorities continued implementing measures to silence independent media, creating an information vacuum and making it difficult for Nicaraguans to access independent news and information.”
“Between 2018 and 2024,” Amnesty International states, “at least 276 journalists were forced to flee the country, according to a report published in September by the Independent Journalists and Communicators of Nicaragua.” In addition, the Sandinista government confiscated the assets of media outlets, further stifling dissent. The report details that between 2018 and June 2024, over 50 media outlets had their assets seized.
“The government also implemented legislation aimed at controlling online content,” the document denounces,” requiring telecommunications companies to provide user data and restricting permissible content at artistic events.”
Finally, in July 2024, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights presented the case of Angel Eduardo Gahona Lopez before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The case involved the “extrajudicial killing [in April 2018] of journalist Angel Eduardo Gahona Lopez by state agents.”
Forced displacement of indigenous peoples
In terms of violations of indigenous rights, Amnesty International warned: “Indigenous Peoples continued to face forced displacement and attacks by pro-government armed groups and settlers.”
“According to the Permanent Human Rights Observatory of the Nicaragua Lucha Coalition, multiple violations were reported against Indigenous human rights defenders, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and displacement in territories such as the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve.”
In March 2024, regional elections were held on Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast without the participation of the indigenous political parties for the first time in years.
“The exclusion of the Yapti Tasba Masraka Nanih Asla Takanka (YATAMA) political party followed the cancellation of its legal status in September 2023 and the detention of its leaders Brooklyn Rivera and Nancy Elizabeth Henriquez, who were later charged with treason and conspiracy,” the organization noted.
The section on indigenous rights concluded: “The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled against Nicaragua, highlighting violations of Indigenous rights, including forced displacement and lack of consultation on projects such as the interoceanic canal, reaffirming the need to protect Indigenous territories. Mayagna forest rangers defending the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve remained imprisoned on dubious charges, reflecting the heightened risks for Indigenous Peoples.”
First published in Spanish by Confidencial and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.