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

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.

Unanimously Approved US Congressional Resolution Condemns Nicaraguan Governmental Repression Against Its Citizens

On July 25, the United States House of Representatives voted and unanimously approved bipartisan resolution H.Res.981, condemning the violence and repression committed by the Nicaraguan Government of Daniel Ortega, which in the last three months has resulted in the deaths of 295 people, according to the latest update from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The resolution was introduced by Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-27) and co-sponsored by Rep. Ed Royce,(R-CA-39), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ-8), Ranking Member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, among others.

In a press release published after the passing of the resolution, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen condemned, on behalf of the co-sponsors of the resolution, the violence, persecution, intimidation and murders by the Government of Nicaragua against its citizens and pointed out that the number of deaths continues to rise each day under a “shoot to kill” policy. She also stressed that adding to the number of deaths are countless wounded, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances – tactics which, according to the Representative, are repressive acts indicative of a regime which will do whatever is necessary to remain in power. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen alluded to the importance of putting pressure on Daniel Ortega and his government, urging the US Government to do more, given that time is of the essence. “My resolution urges the Administration to do more, to target more Ortega goons for sanctions, and I urge this body to do more – time is of the essence.”

The resolution, among other actions, “rightfully identifies Ortega as the orchestrator of the violence and urges the Administration to take more action against the regime.” In addition, it “demonstrates our unwavering support to the people of Nicaragua in the pursuit of democracy, including calling for early, free and fair elections overseen by credible domestic and international observers.” It also urges the international community “to stand in solidarity with the people of Nicaragua.”

The message sent by the US Congress to the government of Nicaragua is also a plea of many other countries, civil society organizations, and society as a whole to put an end to the violence. It is alarming that, despite the cries for peace, the repression continues as demonstrated by gross violations of the right to due process – a situation currently affecting rural leaders Medardo Mairena and Pedro Mena, who were arraigned on charges of terrorism, organized crime, murder, kidnapping, aggravated theft, obstruction of public services, and damages against 23 alleged victims – including the Nicaraguan State – without the presence of an attorney of their choice, or of their families. In recent days, the local media has stated that the two leaders were being tortured by the National Police. The Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) strongly denounces the situation, and request intervention from the international community to protect the rights of these rural leaders, who are facing a flawed judicial system, organized by Daniel Ortega.

The resolution asks the US administration to continue condemning the atrocities in Nicaragua, to demand the release of unjustly detained citizens, and to identify individuals who are participating in the violence so that they may be sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act, which levies sanctions against suspected human rights violators and freezes their US assets. The resolution sees early, free and fair elections as the solution to the human rights crisis, which has engulfed Nicaragua since April of the current year.

Race and Equality considers that initiatives such as the resolution by the US House of Representatives, and others adopted by the international community, are expressions of solidarity towards the Nicaraguan people and, as such, will contribute to the resolution of the conflict without further bloodshed in a country that is ready to reclaim its liberty.

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Grants Precautionary Measures in Favor of Participating Members of the Private Sector in the Alianza Cívica por la Justicia y la Democracia [Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy] in the National Dialogue in Nicaragua

Following a 107-day-long wave of violence, repression, threats, and harassment inflicted upon the Nicaraguan people at the hands of Sandinista mobs, parapolice groups, and paramilitaries, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted precautionary measures on August 2, 2018 in favor of members of the Alianza Cívica por la Justicia y la Democracia [Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy] representing the private sector who participate in the Diálogo Nacional por Nicaragua [National Dialogue for Nicaragua] and are victims of persecution, harassment, threats, smears, and accusations by groups allied with the current government.

The claimants – Michael Edwing Healy Lacayo, José Adán Aguerri Chamorro, Felipe Argüero, Álvaro Javier Vargas Duarte, Claudia Neira Bermúdez, Juan Sebastián Chamorro, and Juan Carlos Gutiérrez Soto – together with their relatives who were identified in the proceedings, declared in the denunciation they submitted to the IACHR that since the outset of the National Dialogue they have been the object of threats issued by journalists from media outlets allied with the government, as well as by other anonymous actors seeking to intimidate them.

Likewise, they declared they had received explicit threats in the form of WhatsApp messages that singled them out as being ‘mafiosos,’ ‘criminals,’ and ‘Sandinista supporters.’  The denunciations made by the beneficiaries also include the receipt of death threats [and] the burning of and trespassing onto their properties, as was the case with Michael Edwing Healy Lacayo, President of the Unión de Productores Agropecuaríos de Nicaragua [Union of Agricultural Producers of Nicaragua] (UPANIC), whose farm was violently expropriated by assailants.  As of the date this resolution was filed, the trespassers were taking advantage of the farm’s plantain harvest.

Similarly, those requesting protective measures were the victims of threats to their good reputations [and] public calumny and slander by being called ‘terrorists’ and ‘assassins.’  In addition, evidence was made known to the public of threats sent to the beneficiaries’ personal telephones and email addresses, as well as harassment, persecution, and intimidation by government sympathizers.

As stated in Resolution 58/2018 issued by the IACHR, “the information submitted demonstrates that the rights to life and personal integrity of the claimants, as well as those of their relatives, are at serious and urgent risk.”  For that reason, under Article 25 of IACHR Regulations, the government of Nicaragua was asked to safeguard and adopt the necessary measures to guarantee the rights to life and personal integrity of the claimants, as well as to ensure that State agents respect the rights of the beneficiaries and those related to risky acts attributable to third parties.  Lastly, the Commission requested a report on the actions adopted in order to investigate the present incidents that led to the adoption of said precautionary measures and prevent their repetition.

The International Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights condemns the perpetration of today’s acts of violence, repression, harassment, arbitrary detention, disappearance, and criminalization of the human rights defenders and activists in the country by the current government.  Consistent with its work of protecting and promoting human rights, Race & Equality will continue supporting the work of denouncing [rights violations] as well as promoting and protecting Nicaraguans’ human rights.  We call on the Nicaraguan government to attend to the IACHR’s recommendations, so as to safeguard the comprehensive protection of the lives of the populace.

In a time of grief and mourning, Ortega and Murillo celebrated the 39th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution

In the midst of grief and mourning over the massacre that has taken place in Nicaragua since the 18th of April, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice-President Rosario Murillo celebrated the 39th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution. The celebration came a day after that the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) approved a resolution entitled “The Situation in Nicaragua,” in which 21 states condemned the humanitarian crisis and demanded that the national government end the violence and return to dialogue.

Despite the violence that has taken the lives of more than three hundred people, injured more than fifteen hundred, and resulted in hundreds of illegal detentions, President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo spoke to their supporters gathered in Juan Pablo II Square to tell their particular version of what has occurred in the last 90 days in Nicaragua, after comments were made by the chancellors of Cuba and Venezuela.

In his speech, the head of state mentioned that this has been a period where the people of Nicaragua have been forced to defend peace and take part in a painful battle to confront an armed conspiracy financed by internal and external forces. Additionally, he pointed out that the opposition is seeking to put an end to twelve years of good governance by blaming the State for the fire in the Indio-Maíz Reservation, for starting a revolution against the social security reform, and for occupying universities to install new centers of torture against the population. The President questioned the impartiality of the Catholic Church and accused the Church of being influenced by the “disgusted” to promote confrontation instead of mediation. He also accused Nicaraguans that are still protesting of being part of satanic forces and of practicing “satanic rituals.” In his comments against the bishops, he indicated that they are upset because of his decision to reestablish order. He also accused them of allowing their churches to be used as death centers. Finally, he invited the attendees to “fight for peace,” to strengthen “self-defense” mechanisms, and to erase all publications made by the opposition on the internet. This will likely lead to an increase in surveillance and future restrictions on the use of the Internet.

There is no doubt that for President Ortega, the only wounded and dead persons that matter are those who supported him, a total of 52 police officers killed and 342 wounded. He listed the names of the murdered on his side but made no mention of the hundreds of others on the other side of the political debate who have been killed during the conflict. Those present at Ortega´s speech called for justice in one united voice. Civil society must demand accountability for the other hundreds who have died and who are not included in the figures of the highest authority of the Nicaraguan State.

The national government’s denial of the accusations made by the Nicaraguan people, national organizations, and the international community in relation to the wave of violence that the people of Nicaragua are suffering puts in doubt the political will of President Ortega and Vice President Murillo to resume the national dialogue and to find a peaceful exit to the conflict. On the contrary, the speech given by the president gives an account of a single intention: to “retake the national order,” despite the voice of a people that demands peace, justice, and democracy.

Race and Equality supports a Nicaraguan delegation to the United Nation in Geneva, Switzerland

June 2018 – The Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) supported a delegation of Nicaraguan human rights activists to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland  June 18-29 in order to raise awareness about the human rights situation  in Nicaragua before civil society representatives, governmental missions before the UN,  the UN System of Human Rights and the international community at large.   Among them,  Alexandra Salazar of the Network of Social Movements and Civil Society Organizations of Nicaragua, Oswaldo Montoya of the MenEngage Alliance, Ana Quirós of the Center for Health Information and Advisory Services (CISAS), and Anibal Toruño of Radio Darío.

Over the course of the two-week trip, the Nicaraguan activists met with important international actors, which included staff of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR), members of international civil society, and representatives of the Permanent Missions of member countries – many from the Latin-American region – to present their stories and offer insight on the response needed to the current political crisis, including the repressions face and the increase of attacks against civil society representatives, students, the elderly, and other peaceful protestors. Their testimonies also sought to encourage the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to issue out a communication requesting that the Nicaraguan government put a stop to the violence and repression.

The activists participated in two press conferences before national and international media, which was broadcasted live through our social platforms. During the debates, the activists denounced the repression and violations of fundamental human rights at the hands of “paramilitary”, “Sandinista mobs”, and “Parapolice” groups.

Groups can be seen here: — https://goo.gl/NdRgtN

In addition, the delegation participated in the plenary of the 38thperiod of the Human Rights Council (HRC), and in two parallel events. The first one, “Human Rights in Nicaragua: State violence and repression”, organized by the International Human Rights Network and the MenEngage Alliance, featured close to fifty participants, including Commissioner Joel Hernandez of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The event discussed the causes of the civil unrest and the presentation of a report by Nicaragua’s Permanent Commission on Human Rights’ (CPDH). The event concluded by urging the international community to denounce the situation in Nicaragua and to pressure the national government to put an end to the repression.

The event was broadcasted live through our social channels. You can see a replay here (in Spanish) — https://goo.gl/NdRgtN

The second event was organized by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, to present the report: Grave violations of human rights in the context of social protests in Nicaragua. It was also broadcasted in our social platforms and can be seen here: https://goo.gl/mmuPQZ

Finally, the Nicaraguan  activists urged the international community to continue pressuring the Nicaraguan government to accept a visit of the UN Office of the High Commissioner to the country (that was later accepted); to publicly denounce government actions against its own citizens; and to request that the UN and its member states form an Independent Investigation Commission to review and sanction all crimes committed. (at the time of drafting this release there were more than 200 registered deaths associated with the conflict.)

SO THAT OUR VOICES ARE HEARD AND INCLUDED! Today We Commemorate the International Day for Afro-Latino, Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora Women

July 25 marks the International Day for Afro-Latino, Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora Women. The commemorative date was established in 1992 after a meeting in the Dominican Republic of more than 400 women from diverse Latin American countries, where they analyzed the consequences of racism and sexism in the region. The meeting also provided a space for attendees to articulate joint actions and remember historic struggles to combat these issues.

On this day we remember that the fight to bring down the humiliations caused by discrimination, poverty, and violence is ongoing. Participatory spaces are closed off because of racist and discriminatory logic against women and Afro-descendants which prevail. Women from the region continue to be the victims of a hostile war committed to condemn their voices and their chants, to violate their bodies, and take away their children.

It is important to remember that Afro-descendant women’s organizations have undertaken a lot of efforts to achieve recognition and participation in decision-making spaces. Because of this, we urge all states to promote affirmative actions in favor of including Afro-Latino, Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora voices in spaces that will permit the promotion of effective public policies that guarantee rights and severely condemn all types of ethnic or racial discrimination.

Today we rise up in resistance for the women suffering the war and apathy in Nicaragua, for the harassment and repression against women in Colombia, especially those who are persecuted for leading life in the territories. We rise up for those women who are not recognized and who are discriminated against in Peru; for the violence and harassment against trans women in Brazil; for the voices of the women in Panama; for the recognition of the rights of all women in the region. We will continue fighting so that our voices are heard, included.

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