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.
Stifling of dissent and poor treatment of political prisoners continued, and regime authorised foreign troop deployment to support humanitarian situation.
Crackdown on dissent and poor treatment of political prisoners continued. Govt 11 June cancelled legal status of fifteen NGOs, 24 June closed fifteen more. Local media 14 June published report revealing govt had imposed arbitrary fines of up to 20,000 córdobas ($500) on evangelical leaders as suppression of religious institutions continued. Meanwhile, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights 11 June condemned “deplorable” prison conditions and urged regime to protect political prisoners’ “lives and integrity”. Organization of American States 27 June adopted resolution urging immediate release of political prisoners in Nicaragua and easing of repression of church members.
Govt approved foreign troop entry and continued to forge new alliances. National Assembly 4 June authorised entry of troops from U.S., Russia, Venezuela and Cuba to provide emergency humanitarian assistance until 31 Dec 2024, specifying that Russian and Venezuelan soldiers will also assist in fight against drug trafficking and organised crime. Meanwhile, regime 7 June reaffirmed its intention to join BRICS and 11 June formalised re-establishment of diplomatic relations with North Korea amid efforts to diversify alliances in face of Western sanctions. President Ortega 22 June appointed ambassador to Afghanistan, formalising establishment of diplomatic relations with Taliban authorities.
[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.
Frente a los comicios nicaragüenses de noviembre, el gobierno ya está maquinando un resultado a su favor. Un resultado injusto podría desatar disturbios y una violenta represión. La comunidad internacional debe impulsar reformas y diálogo con la oposición, evitando al mismo tiempo sanciones contraproducentes.
A medida que el coronavirus se propaga, y la elección presidencial en EE. UU. se aproxima, la administración Trump y el gobierno mexicano continúan deportando migrantes de El Salvador, Guatemala y Honduras. Algunos deportados portan el virus. Los Estados de América Central deberían presionar a sus vecinos del norte para que adopten medidas sanitarias más estrictas.
En Nicaragua, la represión política y las dificultades económicas están encaminando al país hacia un conflicto prolongado de baja intensidad. En este extracto de nuestra Watch List 2019 (tercera actualización para funcionarios políticos europeos), Crisis Group insta a la UE a presionar por el cumplimiento de acuerdos anteriores y una nueva ronda de negociaciones que puedan ayudar al país a salir de una parálisis letal.
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.
El gobierno del presidente Daniel Ortega ha excarcelado a casi todos los presos políticos detenidos desde el levantamiento de Nicaragua en 2018. Debería mantener este rumbo, cumpliendo con los demás compromisos hechos con la oposición en el diálogo nacional. Los actores internacionales deberían mantener viva la promesa de nuevas sanciones si el gobierno incumple.
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