In late 2021, three decades after the end of Nicaragua’s civil war, the government cracked down harshly on opposition parties and staged a rigged election that confirmed President Daniel Ortega’s intention to establish a dynastic authoritarian regime. Thousands have fled the country since 2018, when a mass uprising spurred by an unpopular reform to the social security system was met with state violence, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Through its fieldwork and advocacy, Crisis Group seeks to contribute to a negotiated exit from the crisis and prevent further bloodshed.
This week on Hold your Fire! Richard Atwood and Naz Modirzadeh talk to Crisis Group experts Tiziano Breda and Ivan Briscoe about politics in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras and why Central Americans are leaving for the United States.
Govt continued to target civil society, journalists, political opponents and Indigenous communities.
Clampdown on political figures continued. President Ortega’s political purges persisted, targeting not only opponents but individuals previously considered loyal to regime; notably, authorities mid-July arrested several high-ranking officials on corruption charges, including Vice Chancellor Arlette Marenco. Meanwhile, Mechanism for the Recognition of Political Prisoners 16 July reported that Nicaragua holds at least 147 political prisoners and that they are living in “deplorable” conditions.
Crackdown on civil society, press and Indigenous communities persisted. Regime 9 July shuttered one Catholic radio station and 12 NGOs. Foundation for Freedom of Expression and Democracy’s 10 July report documented 34 cases of attacks on press freedom and 17 journalists exiled April-June 2024. According to watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), authorities 12 July raided home of journalist and activist Fabiola Tercero Castro, who had been under house arrest; RSF said Castro was still missing by end of month. In session with Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Indigenous rights groups 11 July reported 643 violations of Indigenous rights, including forced displacement, arbitrary detentions, torture and killings, in first half of 2024.
[Nicaraguan President Ortega] would prefer to revert to a steady, low-level authoritarian government in which there are perhaps none of the more visible forms of abuses b...
This virtual roundtable assesses the risks of turmoil and political violence, the aggravation of the country’s humanitarian predicament resulting in a surge of emigration and its significance for the region’s democratic backslide.
Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, have arrested more than 30 high-level opponents in recent weeks. In this commentary for Global Americans, Crisis Group's Central America Analyst Tiziano Breda explains what's at stake.
With Nicaraguans heading to the polls in November, the government is already trying to engineer the outcome in its favour. An unfair ballot could spark unrest and a violent crackdown. External actors should push for reforms and dialogue with the opposition while eschewing counterproductive sanctions.
As the coronavirus spreads, and the U.S. presidential election looms, the Trump administration and Mexican government continue to deport migrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Some deportees are carrying the virus. Central American states should press their northern neighbours for more stringent health measures.
Political repression and economic hardship are pushing Nicaragua toward a low-intensity, protracted conflict. In this excerpt from our Watch List 2019 - Third Update for European policymakers, Crisis Group urges the EU to press for compliance with earlier agreements and a fresh round of negotiations that can help the country out of this deadly standoff.
Watch List Updates complement International Crisis Group’s annual Watch List, most recently published in January 2019. These early-warning publications identify major conflict situations in which prompt action, driven or supported by the European Union and its member states, would generate stronger prospects for peace. The third update to the Watch List 2019 includes entries on Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Sudan and Yemen.
President Daniel Ortega’s government has released almost all political prisoners held since Nicaragua’s April 2018 uprising. It should stay this course, honouring its other commitments to the opposition in national dialogue. International actors should promise consequences if the government drags its feet.
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