Nicaraguan human rights defenders will talk in Geneva about the evolution of the crisis in their country

Nicaraguan human rights defenders will talk in Geneva about the evolution of the crisis in their country

Seven months after the current human rights crisis started in Nicaragua as a result of the government’s repression of peaceful protests, a group of human right defenders will hold a public conversation in Geneva on November 28th with the aim of making visible the consequences and permanence of the crisis. The crisis continues now with the prohibition of civic demonstrations and the prosecution of hundreds of protestants, students and activists who have been arrested for participating in protests and are being subjected to trials in which the guarantees of due process are disregarded.

In the conversation, organized by the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality), the human rights defenders will describe their own experiences during the crisis and the risks they face in their daily work.

Special emphasis will be placed on the situation of injustice and defenselessness faced by populations that traditionally experience discrimination, such as women, indigenous persons, Afro-descendants and the LGBTI community. These groups have been repressed for defending democracy and demanding justice and respect for human rights.

The human right defenders will also refer to the situation faced by hundreds of political prisoners, who have reported torture and ill treatment in prisons and detention centers. According to the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH, for its initials in Spanish), of the 602 citizens imprisoned as of November 14th for participating in the protests, 563 are men and 50 women, of which 4 are transgender women.

The image of “normality” that the Nicaraguan government intends to establish both nationally and internationally contrasts diametrically with the vision that human rights defenders will provide that day, which is that in Nicaragua “nothing is normal”, since the violations of human rights committed by the Nicaraguan authorities are systematic and remain unpunished.

Nicaragua will be evaluated by the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2019. This review will offer human rights defenders, civil society organizations, and the international community an important opportunity to peacefully influence the crisis that today overwhelms the Nicaraguan people.

October 26: International Intersex Awareness Day

Within the framework of International Intersex Awareness Day, the International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights (Race & Equality) calls for an end to the discrimination, exclusion, torture, patholization, unnecessary medicalization, and ‘invisibilization’ of intersex persons and their families in the region.  In this sense, Race & Equality reminds [people] that intersex persons are those whose sexual anatomy does not physically adjust to culturally-defined standards for the ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine’ body.  Having said that, what does that actually mean?  We set forth some questions and answers below so as to best approach this issue:

Is intersexuality the same as hermaphroditism?

No.  Although in the cultural imagination hermaphroditism is associated with the figure in Greek literature that has external sexual characteristics associated with the presence of a penis, a vulva, and breasts, in fact in botany and zoology hermaphroditism refers to the reproductive capacity of a plant or animal that can even self-inseminate.  When we refer to people, there is consensus in the scientific community that it is more appropriate to refer to intersexuality.  Some activists, such as Mauro Cabral, prefer to refer to themselves as intersex persons, thereby lending political value to this discussion beyond medical-legal discussions.

 Is intersexuality the same as transgenderism?

 No.  Although both concepts can converge, it is important to have a clear understanding that:

  1. Intersexuality is a biological characteristic that is associated with persons’ genetic and corporeal development (what we traditionally have called ‘sex’) and can be externally visible in the body of a person from the moment of his/her birth.
  2. Transgenderism is more associated with how a person constructs him/herself over the course of his/her life and how he/she presents him/herself to society (what we refer to as ‘gender identity’), although this process can include corporeal interventions to bring the body more into agreement with the [person’s] gender identity.

If intersexuality is biological and innate to a person, why is it necessary to have an intersex day?

  1. It is important to keep in mind that despite the fact that intersexuality if a biological reality, many people are not aware of this fact and by extension, of the existence of intersex persons.
  2. The denial of this biological reality in the educational arena (it is not taught from a young age) is also reflected in the legal sphere, which only recognizes ‘two biological sexes,’ even though the reality is much broader than that; this produces important consequences in the lives of intersex persons.
  3. The origin of this day dates back to 1996 when intersex activists protested in front of the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Boston against the genital mutilations and hormonal treatments performed on intersex persons at an early age without their informed consent.

Are intersex persons the victims of human rights violations?

Yes.  Intersex persons have been the victims of multiple violations reflected in various spheres of their lives:

  1. Their existence is denied in the legal and medical arenas, given that in many countries only two sexes are legally recognized: male and female. Nonetheless, this is changing with the recognition of gender neutrality.
  2. As a result of the foregoing, surgical procedures are imposed on intersex persons from a very early age. Current protocols are applied to them, even though that means carrying out unnecessary surgical interventions with the intention of ‘normalizing’ their genitals, without the person first giving his/her informed consent.  It should be noted that these interventions give rise to irreversible consequences in the emotional, physical, and sexual life of those individuals, including sterilization and genital mutilation, without them being medically necessary in the great majority of the cases.
  3. Human rights protection entities – such as the United Nations and the Inter-American Commission – have documents grave violations of intersex persons’ human rights, above all with relation to discrimination, ‘invisibilization,’ the lack of official information, medical treatments they tend to receive since birth and throughout the course of their lives, barriers to accessing their medical charts, and even difficulty with obtaining recognition of their legal status in public identity registries.
  4. According to the testimonies of diverse intersex persons, the nature of the interventions oftentimes gives rise to the need for multiple surgeries at different times in their lives, producing chronic pain, possible health problems, and the need to carry out extremely invasive routine procedures comparable to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or torture.

For all of these reasons, Race & Equality condemns the patholization and childhood genital mutilation practices endured by some intersex persons, and calls on the States in the region to assume their international obligations without further delay to protect human rights and comprehensively recognize, guarantee, and protect, with no patholization and in consultation with intersex persons, their human rights.

Race & Equality Rejects the Arbitrary Ban by Nicaraguan Authorities Denying Entry into the Country to Representatives of the Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional (CEJIL)

Washington, D.C. October 26 2018. The International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights (Race & Equality) forcefully condemns the arbitrary ban on entry into Nicaragua imposed on the work team from the Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional [Center for Justice and International Law] (CEJIL), who in the morning of October 26 were to meet with President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Margarette Macaulay and members of the Special Monitoring Mechanism for Nicaragua (MESENI) to discuss topics related to the humanitarian crisis that began in the country on April 18.  The crisis has merited the attention of said body of the inter-American human rights protection system, as well as that of CEJIL, an international organization that has worked in Nicaragua for many years.

The incidents took place around 7 a.m. when representatives of CEJIL Marcia Aguiluz Soto, Francisca Estuardo Vidal, and Paola Limón were notified by airport authorities that they could not enter the country, alleging that they had not given the required amount of advance notice of their arrival.  Then, upon questioning by the delegation, [the authorities] put forth reasons related to the exercise of sovereignty that represent a new outrage committed against human rights defenders.  The authorities were intransigent, even when CEJIL displayed the formal invitation it had received from the IACHR.  In images published on CEJIL’s official Twitter account, one can see the team being escorted to depart the country, accompanied by a message denouncing “This is how they ‘escort’ us to leave #Nicaragua, when we attempt to enter in order to attend a meeting with the @cidh [IACHR].  They refuse us entry, despite having a formal invitation.  They make use of gimmicks and return us in less than an hour.  #SosNicaragua.”

We join our voice to other voices to emphatically reject and vehemently condemn this act as evidence of the grave humanitarian crisis underway in this Central American country, as well as the systematic hampering of the work of defending human rights.  We denounce the obvious intention of the Ortega-Murillo regime to isolate the international community from the repression, harassment, and criminalization which it continues to inflict on the people who continue to express themselves civically, especially directed against the activists, independent media outlets, [and] human rights defenders who are completely defenseless.  It was not for nothing that a few weeks ago it was made known that the working group from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) was kicked out of the country, and today one of the organizations that has historically worked for democracy and the guarantee of human rights was arbitrarily denied entry.  Nothing has improved in Nicaragua, as was affirmed today by OHCHR in its first monthly bulletin monitoring the situation.

All of these incidents lead us to elevate the international level of alert regarding the situation in Nicaragua [and] to ask the international community, human rights protection bodies, and the various expressions of civil society to redouble their efforts to ensure the prompt return of democracy, justice, and peace to Nicaragua.

Public Communiqué: Race & Equality Rejects Acts of Harassment and Intimidation against Journalist Sergio León, General Manager of Nicaragua’s La Costeñísima

Washington, DC. October 23. 2018 – The International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights (Race & Equality) forcefully rejects and condemns the acts of pursuit, repression, and harassment committed against journalist Sergio León, General Manager of La Costeñísima, who was arbitrarily detained by the National Police on 21 October 2018 in Bluefields, a city located on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast.

The incidents took place while the journalist and General Manager of La Costeñísima was driving his car on the streets of Bluefields after having been informed that an ostentatious heavily-armed police and anti-riot squad was deployed around the city, a situation which León decided to document, given it represented an unusual activity in that area.

While the journalist proceeded to make an audiovisual and photographic record of a caravan of police vehicles that were in the Colón sector of the Fátima neighborhood, the agents came to a halt, got out of their units in combat position and violently intercepted the journalist, alleging that the activity León was engaging in was not permitted, arguments that the latter questioned, by stating that no law exists prohibiting said activity as a journalist performing his professional work.

Immediately thereafter, the police officers asked [León] for documentation on the car, and even after finding that everything was in order, forced León to get out of his car and subjected him to an unusual inspection.  They then took him to a police station where he was detained for more than an hour and fined 320 córdobas (approximately US$10) without being provided any reason whatsoever.

In addition, after being released, the General Director of La Costeñísima discovered that one of his car tires had been dented by a punch and a steel nail, in a position such that when the car would start to move it would sink into the tire – an action that had also, according to the journalist’s denunciation, been committed against his daughter with the clear intention of threatening her life.

All of these incidents constitute clear violations of journalist Sergio León’s freedom of movement, expression, and the press.  In recent days, he participated in the 169th period of public hearings of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights by denouncing the systematic repression that has been pursued by the Ortega-Murillo regime, specifically against the media and independent journalists who oppose the dictatorial policies of the head of State and who, in their commitment to and performance of their work of providing information [to the public], have been subject to all types of acts of intimidation, persecution, harassment, and threats that infringe upon their fundamental rights.

Race & Equality demands that the Nicaraguan State cease the persecution and intimidation of independent journalists, and ensure that the rights to freedom of expression, opinion, and the press are guaranteed.  Likewise, we ask that it take into account the recommendations made by representatives of the media and journalists in the last public hearing of the 169th period of sessions of the IACHR to guarantee the lives and physical integrity of the journalists who today stand accused and censored.  We call on the international community to document the acts of repression and censorship to which Nicaraguan journalists are subject to on a daily basis, as well as to redouble its efforts to ensure that peace, truth, and justice return to the country promptly.

With Repression and Violence, the Ortega Regime Again Violates the Rule of Law in Nicaragua

Once again, the Ortega-Murillo Administration committed acts of repression against Nicaraguans peacefully participating on October 14 in a civil march, entitled “United for Liberty.” Activists and human rights defenders participated in the march calling for peace, justice, and liberty for the more than 400 political prisoners in Nicaragua.

While activists and well-known human rights defenders peacefully demanded that the Ortega regime free political prisoners, heavily armed anti-riot police violently attacked the demonstrators. According to an official communication from the police, the march constituted an instigating and provoking activity that obstructed the right to peace and freedom of movement of Nicaraguan families trying to carry out their daily activities. The communication indicated that 38 people were captured, 8 of which were released hours later. Among those detained include the political and social leaders Suyen Barahona, President of the Sandinista Renovation Movement; Ana Margarita Vijil, leader of the Sandinista Renovation Movement; and Jose Antonio Peraza, Director of the Movement for Nicaragua.

The International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) emphatically condemns and rejects the repression and brutality employed by the Nicaraguan police against activists and human rights defenders, as well as the censorship and harassment of independent national and international media workers, who were also detained while exercising their work. All of these acts constitute a grave violation of the rights to social protest, freedom of expression and the press, as well as the integrity and security that Nicaraguans are entitled to under the International Bill of Human Rights and the Nicaraguan Constitution.

With concern we denounce the pattern of repression and violence of the Ortega-Murillo regime designed to intimidate the Nicaraguan people into ceasing to exercise their legitimate right to protest. This violates the fundamental rights of Nicaraguans as well as international law. The threats and acts of criminalization, intimidation, and censorship continue to escalate, demonstrating the low political will of the national government to work towards a peaceful solution to the conflict and its desire to install a de facto state of exception.

We demand that the government of Nicaragua ensure the safety of its people and cease committing acts of violence. Additionally, we call on the government to respect the rights of its citizens, some of whom have precautionary measures granted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and are currently detained. We demand freedom for all unjustly prosecuted political prisoners and those detained yesterday while exercising their right to protest. We demand information about their whereabouts and the conditions in which they are detained.

Finally, we urgently call on the international community to increase its efforts to contribute to a peaceful solution to the crisis that has take more than 300 lives, has wounded more than 2,000 people, and has resulted in hundreds of political prisoners and disappeared persons.

Nicaraguan journalists and human rights defenders denounce the Nicaraguan government’s use of violence and repression in response to public protests in a hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

Boulder, Colorado. October 2, 2018. Journalists and human rights defenders participated in the 169th Period of Sessions of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on October 2, 2018, where they denounced the violence and repression carried out by the government of President Daniel Ortega and Vice-President Rosario Murillo in response to the social protests in Nicaragua.

Nicaragua is experiencing a grave human rights crisis that has plagued the country since April 18. Since then, the government of Daniel Ortega has used violence and repression against those who have chosen to exercise their right to peaceful protest. The situation has continued to deteriorate and public protests are now formally criminalized under a police decree issued on September 28. The decree blames public citizens for aggression and harm suffered by the police and others. The decree also prohibits public demonstrations, threatening to prosecute and convict organizers and participants. The decree adds to the climate of terror and will increase the number of political prisoners.

During the public hearing, human rights defenders and journalists described the evolution of the crisis in Nicaragua, which, according to official reports by the IACHR, has gone through distinct stages of repression and varying levels of intensity of violence towards protestors, human rights defenders, the media, and citizens in general. Additionally, grave violations of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press were exposed in the report. The press has been subjected to attacks, aggression, and intimidation as well as theft, persecution and censorship.

According to the report presented by Marco Carmona, member of Nicaragua’s Permanent Commission of Human Rights (CPDH, for its initials in Spanish), paramilitary and para-police groups continue to run operations in coordination with the National Police, who are responsible for more than 320 killings in the country. Of these, 5 are children, 27 are young adults, and 13 are women. Mr. Carmona stated that more than 3,000 people have been wounded and 1,500 have been arbitrarily detained, 90% of whom have been subjected to acts of torture such as beatings, electric shocks, removal of nails, and sexual violence, among other acts. “Of the 603 individuals who are still detained, only 203 have been presented before a judge and accused of grave crimes such as terrorism, illegal possession of firearms, and organized crime. These individuals have had their right to due process violated,” stated the Nicaraguan representative.

Mr. Carmona also expressed that the repression against civil society organizations has not stopped. Many activists to leave the country because they receive death threats, including those who have been granted precautionary measures by the IACHR . This reflects the current state of defenselessness of the people of Nicaragua and is a result of the increase in violence committed by those called to “protect the public order.” These state forces are attacking people who carry only blue and white flags or balloons, the colors of the Nicaraguan flag.

Patricia Orozco, a journalist and representative of the independent Nicaraguan radio station Onda Local, stated in her presentation that exercising freedom of expression and freedom of the press, as is the legitimate right of journalists, is now considered a crime by the Ortega government if the messages expressed do not align with its dictatorial politics. She testified that “independent media has not been able to escape the terror policy of the government. Local radio stations are especially vulnerable because they are harassed by the police and paramilitaries for reporting on what is happening.”

In light of the information presented, Commissioner Joel Hernandez, Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty, lamented the absence of the Nicaraguan State at the hearing and their lack of political will to hold a dialogue, as well as the ongoing conflict in the country. He also stated with great concern that the attacks against independent journalists and the media constitutes a fourth stage of the government’s repression.

Commissioner Hernandez also mentioned that the IACHR conducted a recent visit to the country, which the national government did not participate in. During the visit, testimonies from representatives of civil society organizations were collected. These testimonies revealed that political prisoners are facing difficult conditions in prisons and detention centers. Additionally, Commissioner Hernández also stated that the judiciary to better scrutinize charges of terrorism, especially given that the factor in the definition of this crime which relates to “disturbance of the constitutional order” is highly subjective and does not form part of international practices to suppress terrorism.

Executive Secretary of the IACHR Paulo Abrão expressed concern that the Nicaraguan state seems to be doing away with procedural rights and protections guaranteed under the rule of law and instead acting as if it is in a State of Exception, where certain rights are not respected. Secretary Abrão indicated that the way to prevent the State of Exception from becoming the norm is to respect judicial independence. Judges should denounce abuse of power by the police and rule against arbitrary detentions, which is currently not happening.

Sergio León, director of “La Costeñísima” testified that he is a victim of constant threats because of his work and that it is a great risk to be a journalist in Nicaragua, particularly in the areas of the Caribbean where journalist Ángel Gahona was murdered. Two young Afro-descendants were prosecuted and convicted for this crime under an inconsistent judicial process. Responding to this information, Edison Lanza, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, stated that “the persecution is intensifying. The State is trying to falsify reality and cover up its use of terror by touting a narrative that does not correspond to the national context.”

The Rapporteur for Nicaragua, Commissioner Antonia Urrejola issued an urgent call to the government of Nicaragua to not punish the activists for their participation in the hearing and stressed the need to make sure they are protected.

Representatives of civil society present at the hearing requested that the IACHR continue issuing public communications on the extreme vulnerablity of journalists and human rights defenders in the country. Furthermore, they requested that the IACHR call on the government to put an end to the repression against unarmed citizens and revoke the political decree that legally justifies the criminalization of social protests. They also requested that the IACHR pressure the government to end the harassment, intimidation, physical attacks, and censorship of journalists and members of the national and international press. The activists requested that the Nicaraguan State immediately release all political prisoners and take appropriate measures to protect journalists and human rights defenders from the risks they currently face. Finally, they asked the  IACHR to work with the government in developing a protocol for the effective implementation of these protection measures.

You can see the complete hearing (in Spanish) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XECN6lLBEUU&t=2063s

Race & Equality Participates in the 169th Period of Public Hearings of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights with Organizations from Colombia, Cuba, and Nicaragua

Washington, D.C. September 24. Together with more than 20 organizations, the International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights will participate October 1-5 in the 169th Period of Public Hearings held by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) at the University of Colorado in the city of Boulder in the United States.

During the period of sessions, Race & Equality will participate in three (3) public hearings requested by organizations from Colombia, Cuba, and Nicaragua by speaking on the state of human rights in each of these countries to rapporteurs of the IACHR and international community.  In the case of Cuba and Nicaragua, the hearings are aimed at presenting cases of criminalization and repression of activists, journalists, [and] human rights defenders by the national governments of their countries in the midst of the political crises unleashed [and ongoing] to date.  In the case of Colombia, the hearing is aimed at describing and denouncing the state of human rights of the Afro-Colombian people.

The Inter-American Commission holds several periods of sessions each year, in which hundreds of human rights defenders from the region participate, along with delegations from the States comprised of high-level authorities in the field of human rights [and] academics, among others.  In accordance with what is established by Article 68 of IACHR Regulations, the hearings are public and interested parties can freely attend without the need to register beforehand.  The hearings are broadcast online in several languages on the official IACHR website.

Below we present the schedule of the public hearings on Colombia, Cuba, and Nicaragua in which Race & Equality will participate.

International Bisexuality Day: A Day to Remember the Sexual Diversity that Comprises and Complements Our Society

Washington, September 22, 2018 – Each year since 1999, International Sexuality Day is commemorated on September 23rd: a day to remember the sexual diversity that comprises and complements our society, as well as the urgent need to continue working for the recognition of the rights to individual liberty, autonomy, and identity of all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation, and especially the assertion and recognition of the rights of bisexual persons.

To that end, we applaud with appreciation the recent press communiqué on International Bisexuality Day issued jointly by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and experts from the United Nations: we believe that these types of statements are essential in the fight against the ‘invisibilization’ of the barriers and discrimination that impact bisexual persons and provide concrete data that help to eradicate misconceptions that are permeated by stigmas surrounding bisexuality.  To that end, the authors state in the communiqué that bisexuality refers to “the capacity for emotional, romantic, and/or physical attraction to more than one sex or gender.”  From our work with our counterparts in the region, we note with concern the frequency with which the sexual orientation of bisexual persons causes them to experience significant discrimination, in that socially they are categorized as ‘indecisive,’ ‘undefined,’ or ‘promiscuous,’ in this manner alluding to an as-yet ‘undecided’ sexual orientation which needs to be ‘defined’ as heterosexual or homosexual.  The stigmas to which bisexual persons are subject result in the ‘invisibilization’ of their realities and experiences, as well as the lack of awareness regarding the multiple challenges [and] barriers [they face], as well as the violations of their human rights.

According to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association (ILGA), bisexuality and bisexual persons are marginalized in all parts of the world, generating alarming figures of depression, isolation, health problems, and high rates of suicide within this population.  In addition, they indicate that the indices of domestic and psychological violence perpetrated against bisexual persons are much higher in comparison with what is experienced by homosexual or heterosexual groups.  In this same study, ILGA points out that “the reality of bisexual persons is unknown by social organizations and even by groups defending the rights of the LGBTI community” – the reason why there are few or no data from social and governmental organizations regarding the health, education, and access to reproductive rights of this population.  Likewise, the actions implemented by State organizations do not respond to the realities of persons with a bisexual sexual orientation.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the social reality of bisexual persons is completely unknown.  It is as if they do not exist, given that people tend to feel such persons are “going through a phase or presenting a deviation from [normal] sexual conduct”; as such, no statistics or official data exist on the situation of this community, either at the level of the States in the region or at the level of civil society organizations, as the latter tend to address the situations of bisexual persons to a lesser degree.  In addition to this, the lack of knowledge, research, and comprehension of bisexuality becomes a worrisome limiting factor in identifying or defining barriers faced by bisexual persons.

Bisexuality is highly invisible in human rights practice and discourse; it is thus that this day becomes an opportunity to raise the visibility of the voices, stories, and experiences of bisexual persons, demand protection of the rights of all persons, demand research that will identify their needs throughout the world, and develop pedagogy regarding their reality.

Race & Equality calls on the States in the region, governmental institutions, and the LGBTI movement to fight against all types of discrimination and violence against the bisexual population.  We urge them to consider developing public policies that include bisexuality within [the larger topic of] sexual orientation and consequently, collect official data to internally counteract the violence and discrimination faced by bisexual persons.  Biphobia, as well as any type of expression of hatred or violence against the diverse forms of gender, identity, or sexual orientation are acts that diminish the possibility for constructing societies that are more inclusive, just, and respectful of diversity.

 

RACE & EQUALITY DENOUNCES THE PERSECUTION OF LGBTI HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN NICARAGUA AT THE HANDS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF DANIEL ORTEGA

The International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights (Race & Equality) denounces the arbitrary detention of two LGBTI youth on 14 September of this year by the National Police, charged with participating in the marches held against the Ortega-Murillo regime in recent months, and additionally for having denounced on social media the human rights violations committed by the current government.

According to the information received by ADISNIC – an organization that works on behalf of the defense of, struggle for, and recognition of the human rights of the LGBTI population of Nicaragua – Osiris Castro, a lesbian student activist from the city of Matagalpa, was kidnapped from her home by paramilitaries for having participated in the marches and denounced the Ortega-Murillo regime on social media.  Likewise, Marcelo Ramírez, a young homosexual student member of M19 in the city of El Realejo, Chinandega, was kidnapped by the political secretary of the FSLN and paramilitaries for participating in the marches against the Ortega-Murillo regime and denouncing on social media the human rights violations committed by the current government.

As an organization that defends human rights, we forcefully reject the strong repression being inflicted upon the people of Nicaragua at this time by the National Police, paramilitary groups, Sandinista mobs, and repressive groups that daily threaten the safety, life, and human rights of Nicaraguan citizens.  We denounce the strategy of fear, harassment, intimidation, and threats being utilized against those who, given their legitimate right to social denunciation and protest, have decided to denounce [violations] and [as a result] are being illegally detained, kidnapped, and tortured today.

We urge the international community to not cease its calls for dialogue, peace, justice, and truth on behalf of those who have died as well as the [Nicaraguan] people who continue to resist even in the midst of fear.

Nicaragua is today experiencing a third phase of State repression, according to the statements made on multiple occasions by Paulo Abrão, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), characterized by threats, intimidation, harassment, disappearances, and arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders, journalists or media outlets, and the general populace who have openly participated in mobilizations [and] rejected the dictatorial actions of the national government.  The last report submitted by the mission of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human rights, [whose members were] recently thrown out of the country, notes that according to estimates made by non-governmental organizations, as of 18 August 2018 at least 300 persons, including human rights defenders, had been charged with serious crimes, including terrorism [and] organized crime, for having participated in or supported the protests.

This ‘hunting’ of opposition demonstrators constitutes, as expressed in Report No. 5 of the Centro Nicaragüense de Derechos Humanos [Nicaraguan Human Rights Center] (CENIDH), one of the greatest persecutions against civil society in the history of the country, due to its violent nature and the absolute illegitimacy of its authors, who operate with the acquiescence of the State and do not comply with national and international human rights standards.

Despite people’s fear on the streets of Nicaragua, the populace is determined not to cease its denunciations, outcries, and mobilizations on behalf of peace and justice.  It is thus that, through social media, social human rights organizations, leaders, youth, students, [and] men and women of Nicaragua today invite the entire international community to join the digital mobilization #MarchoPorlaIndependencia [I march for independence], a space whose goal it is to continue denouncing the atrocities that the people are suffering at the hands of this dictatorial government, without risking their lives to go out and march.

Let’s join the march through this link: https://www.alianzacivicanicaragua.com/es/marchamos-por-la-independencia-por-la-libertad-la-democracia-y-la-justicia-de-nicaragua/

ORTEGA OPENLY PROMOTES IMPUNITY IN NICARAGUA BY ORDERING THE DEPARTURE OF THE OHCHR

Washington, D.C. August 31. 2018. Following the release on 29 August 2018 of the conclusive report “Violaciones de derechos humanos y abusos en el contexto de las protestas en Nicaragua” [Human Rights Violations and Abuses in the Context of the Protests in Nicaragua] by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) that provides evidence of systematic human rights violations and calls for the creation of an international commission to ensure justice and reparations for the victims, Daniel Ortega, through the Chancellery of Nicaragua, ordered the members of the Nicaraguan Mission of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to leave the country.

 Race & Equality emphatically condemns this decision of the current government as constituting a negative precedent regarding the current situation in the country and which additionally demonstrates the unwillingness of the government to permit international scrutiny of its performance in the area of human rights and its eagerness to evade justice for the extremely grave human rights violations it has committed from 18 April [2018] to date.  With extreme concern we see how the decisions of the Ortega regime contribute to the impunity in the country and reinforce the logic of fear and death that bolster the state of defenselessness and vulnerability in which the Nicaraguan people live, especially those who today are persecuted, threatened, singled out, and arbitrarily detained by the regime.

This declaration made by the government clearly demonstrates its lack of interest in restarting a peaceful and democratic national dialogue that enables the crisis and its consequences to be overcome, and additionally lays bare a clear rejection of the recommendations proposed to date by the working groups of international bodies present in Nicaragua that urge, among others, that it cease the harassment, intimidation, persecution, [and] repression of human rights defenders, politicians, journalists, and protestors who oppose the repression committed by the regime.

We urge the government of Daniel Ortega to end the repression and flagrant human rights violations, in order to overcome the crisis which in the last four months has left more than 300 people dead, more than 2,000 people injured, hundreds arbitrarily detained, and thousands displaced.

Join Our Efforts

Help empower individuals and communities to achieve structural changes in Latin America.

Donate Contact Us