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

United Nations On Thursday, the Nicaraguan regime was accused of complicity “Serious systematic violations of human rights, amounting to crimes against humanity” Investigating the growing repression of political dissent in a Central American nation.

Dictatorship of Daniel Ortega He has pursued his opponents for years in a campaign that culminated in the 2018 anti-government protests, resulting in violent crackdowns by authorities.

But over the past year, repression has spread across large sectors of society with the aim of “incapacitating any kind of opposition in the long term”. Independent Group of UN Experts who have been examining the situation since March 2022.

“Nicaragua is caught in a spiral of violence, marked by the suppression of all forms of political opposition, real or perceived”He indicated Jan Simon, the expert leading the investigation, in a statement. “The government has strengthened A spiral of silence That renders any possible opposition incompetent.”

The Ortega regime has reiterated that the mass demonstrations of 2018 were a failed coup organized by the United States, and generally responds to criticism with the same argument.

The state has attacked civilians, including university students, indigenous peoples, blacks, and members of the Catholic Church. Now it persecutes minors and family members for being related to those who spoke out against the authorities.

In December, the police charged the director of the beauty pageant Miss Nicaragua A conspiracy through which he may have rigged the contest against pro-regime candidates. In February, the dictatorship shut down more social groups, including the country’s scout organization, and a Rotary Club

Reportedly, the repression has crossed the country’s borders and reached millions of people who have fled it, mainly United States and Costa Rica. Hundreds of Nicaraguans have been stripped of their nationality and are now stateless, unable to access basic rights.

UN report Ortega urged the regime to release “arbitrarily” detained citizens and called on world leaders to expand sanctions on “individuals and organizations implicated in human rights abuses.”

report of Human Rights Group on Nicaragua Asserts that Daniel Ortega’s regime has committed “abuses and crimes” to “eliminate all critical voices and, in the long run, any new organization and social mobility initiatives.”

“Government of Nicaragua’s Politically Motivated Serious Systematic Violations of Human Rights, Amounting to Crimes Against Humanity”The group declared, repeating expressions from a report presented a year ago.

However, “the situation has worsened” in the last year due to the “consolidation and centralization of all the powers and institutions of the state” in the hands of Ortega and his wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo, especially the judiciary. adds..

“A pattern of violations focused on disabling any kind of long-term protest during 2023 has increased exponentially”According to the document.

“President Ortega, Vice President Murillo and the high-level officials identified in the investigation must be held accountable to the international community,” said Jan Simon.

The group of experts is independent and was created in 2022 by a UN Human Rights Council mandate to investigate abuses committed in Nicaragua since April 2018, when protests erupted against the Ortega government, whose crackdown has killed 355 people and detained hundreds. (protesters, social leaders, businessmen, journalists).