The UN accused the Nicaraguan regime of abuses that amount to crimes against humanity

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The United Nations has accused the Nicaraguan regime led by dictator Daniel Ortega of committing “serious systematic violations of human rights, equivalent to crimes against humanity” in an investigation into the ongoing repression of political dissent in the country.

Ortega’s dictatorship has been persecuting opponents for years, with a turning point in the violent crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018. However, in the last year, repression has escalated to target large sectors of society in an effort to silence any form of opposition in the long term.

An independent group of UN experts investigating the situation since March 2022 has found that Nicaragua is trapped in a spiral of violence marked by the persecution of all forms of political opposition. The regime has solidified a spiral of silence that incapacitates any potential opposition.

The Ortega regime has often claimed that the 2018 protests were a failed coup orchestrated by the United States, using this as a justification for its crackdown on dissent. The State has targeted civilians, including university students, indigenous people, black individuals, and members of the Catholic Church, as well as minors and family members of those who have spoken out against the authorities.

In recent months, the regime has accused the director of the Miss Nicaragua beauty pageant of manipulating the competition against pro-regime candidates and has shut down more social groups, including the country’s scout organization and a Rotary club.

The repression in Nicaragua has extended beyond its borders, affecting hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled to countries like the United States and Costa Rica. Many have been stripped of their nationality, leaving them stateless and unable to access fundamental rights.

The UN report calls on the Ortega regime to release arbitrarily detained citizens and urges world leaders to expand sanctions on individuals and institutions implicated in human rights violations. The report describes Ortega’s regime as perpetrating “abuses and crimes” to eliminate critical voices and discourage any new social mobilization initiatives.

The group of experts stresses the need for accountability for President Ortega, Vice President Murillo, and other high-level officials identified in the investigation. The group was created in 2022 by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate abuses committed in Nicaragua since the 2018 protests, which left hundreds dead and detained.