Nicaraguan Government urged to promote dialogue to overcome the crisis

By Vatican News

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has invited the government of Nicaragua, led by Daniel Ortega, to promote dialogue with civil society to overcome the human rights crisis that the Central American country has been experiencing since April 2018.

In its 40-page annual report on Nicaragua, the IACHR calls on Ortega to take the necessary measures to restore "democratic institutions, the full validity of the Rule of Law and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of expression." It is necessary - the report states - to create the necessary conditions that contribute to building the population's trust, ceasing repression, releasing all arbitrarily detained individuals over the past six years, initiating processes that promote truth, justice, and reparations for victims, and ending impunity for those who have violated human rights.

Nicaragua - the IACHR asserts - has committed acts of state repression that may constitute crimes against humanity, such as murder, deprivation of liberty, persecution, rape, torture, and forced disappearance.

The Commission also urges the Nicaraguan authorities to revoke all decrees regarding the cancellation of the legal personality of civil society organizations, without ensuring due process, and to return confiscated structures and assets to their members. In recent days, the Managua government has revoked the legal status of another 15 associations operating as nonprofit organizations, bringing the number of NGOs banned since December 2018 to over 3,600.

Immediate cessation of judicial persecution, repression, stigmatization, attacks, threats, and intimidation against various actors in civil society, including journalists, human rights defenders, activists, artists, academics, political opponents, and members of religious communities and the Catholic Church, is requested.

In this context of crisis, Pope Francis has repeatedly called for prayers for the Church in Nicaragua, hoping that the path of dialogue will always be sought to overcome difficulties.

Since April 2018, the Central American country has been experiencing a political and social crisis, exacerbated after the general elections of November 2021, in which Ortega was reelected for a fifth term, while his wife, Rosario Murillo, was confirmed as vice president. Since the beginning of the protests six years ago, the state's repressive response - emphasizes the IACHR - has led to the death of at least 355 people, the injury of more than 2,000, and the arbitrary detention of over 2,000 individuals.