Ortega allies threaten, as opponents are arrested, flee Nicaragua
3 years, 6 months ago

Ortega allies threaten, as opponents are arrested, flee Nicaragua

Al Jazeera  

For the second time in two years, one of Nicaragua’s most influential journalists, Carlos Fernando Chamorro – a former ally of President Daniel Ortega – has gone into exile. Vice President Rosario Murillo calls it “late justice”, accusing the imprisoned opponents of conspiring with foreign powers to undermine the interests of the nation. The crackdown has alarmed the international community UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has issued a new report expressing “a worrying and accelerating deterioration of the human rights situation. Earlier, Human Rights Watch issued its own report detailing what it called “gross physical and political rights abuses” against many opponents.

Rights President Opponents Nicaragua Ortega Murillo Nicaraguan Nicaraguans Central America Sandinista  opponents  threaten  chamorro  sandinista  allies  nicaragua  arrested  president  murillo  ortega  rights  elections  told  flee

History of this topic

Nicaragua’s Ortega proposes reform to make him and his wife ‘copresidents’
1 month ago

Nicaragua’s Ortega proposes reform to make him and his wife ‘copresidents’

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega on Wednesday proposed a constitutional reform that would officially make him and his wife, current Vice President Rosario Murillo, “copresidents” of the Central American nation. Ortega put forward another bill Wednesday that would make it illegal for anyone to enforce sanctions from the United States or other foreign bodies “within Nicaraguan territory.” The …

US sanctions Nicaragua’s attorney general over human rights concerns
9 months ago

US sanctions Nicaragua’s attorney general over human rights concerns

Al Jazeera  

Washington says Morales Urbina ‘exploited her office to facilitate a coordinated campaign to suppress dissent’. The United States has imposed sanctions on Nicaragua’s attorney general for what it says is her role in the government’s “unjust persecution of political prisoners and civil society”. Wendy Carolina Morales Urbina, who has been the attorney general since 2019, “has exploited her office to …

Experts report Nicaraguan ‘systematic human rights violations’ to UN council
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Experts report Nicaraguan ‘systematic human rights violations’ to UN council

The Hindu  

Driven by a desire to squelch critical voices, Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega and his entourage have committed systematic human rights violations “tantamount to crimes against humanity,” a group of UN-mandated experts said on Thursday. In a report presented to the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva, they said Mr. Ortega, his Vice President and wife Rosario Murillo, and other high-level …

UN experts accuse Nicaragua’s government of abuses ‘tantamount to crimes against humanity’
9 months, 3 weeks ago

UN experts accuse Nicaragua’s government of abuses ‘tantamount to crimes against humanity’

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — A panel of U.N.-backed human rights experts on Thursday accused Nicaragua ’s government of systematic human rights abuses “tantamount to crimes against humanity,” implicating a range of high-ranking officials in the government of President Daniel Ortega. “Serious systematic human rights violations, tantamount to crimes against humanity, continue to be perpetrated by the Nicaraguan government for political reasons,” …

Nicaragua confiscates properties of 222 opposition exiles
1 year, 6 months ago

Nicaragua confiscates properties of 222 opposition exiles

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — The government of Nicaragua announced Friday it has confiscated properties belonging to 222 opposition figures who were forced into exile in February after being imprisoned by the regime of President Daniel Ortega. Those taken from prison and forced aboard a flight to the United States on Feb. 9 included seven former presidential hopefuls, lawyers, rights activists, journalists …

‘Rights crisis’: Amnesty report documents abuses in Nicaragua
1 year, 8 months ago

‘Rights crisis’: Amnesty report documents abuses in Nicaragua

Al Jazeera  

The government of President Daniel Ortega has been criticised for targeting dissidents and consolidating power. The human rights organisation Amnesty International has warned that the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo is deepening repression in the Central American state. “We’ve shown the continuum of repression to which Nicaraguan society has been subjected and the different …

Nicaragua strips 94 political opponents of citizenship
1 year, 10 months ago

Nicaragua strips 94 political opponents of citizenship

Al Jazeera  

Analysts, legal experts and human rights groups condemn the move, which they say violates international law. He claimed those on the list – among them rights activist Vilma Núñez, former Sandinista rebel commander Luis Carrión and journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro – were guilty of “spreading false news” and “conspiracy to undermine national integrity”. Most of those named fled Nicaragua when …

Nicaragua frees 222 opponents of Ortega, sends them to US
1 year, 10 months ago

Nicaragua frees 222 opponents of Ortega, sends them to US

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — In the middle of the night, political leaders, priests, students and activists languishing inside Nicaragua’s most notorious prisons were awoken, given the clothes they had been arrested in and told to dress. “The release of these individuals, one of whom is a U.S. citizen, by the government of Nicaragua marks a constructive step towards addressing human rights …

US targets Nicaragua’s gold sector in latest push against Ortega
2 years, 2 months ago

US targets Nicaragua’s gold sector in latest push against Ortega

Al Jazeera  

New sanctions are imposed in response to ‘attacks on democratic actors and members of civil society’, US says. Biden’s executive order gives the US Treasury Department “the authority to target certain persons that operate or have operated in the gold sector of the Nicaraguan economy”, the department said in a statement on Monday. “With President Biden’s new Executive Order, we …

Calls grow for Nicaragua to release jailed opposition figures
2 years, 10 months ago

Calls grow for Nicaragua to release jailed opposition figures

Al Jazeera  

Pressure from US, EU and other observers mounts after death of detained opposition leader Hugo Torres on Saturday. They also decried a months-long government crackdown on dissent during which dozens of opposition figures – including seven presidential hopefuls – were detained in what rights groups said was an effort to guarantee Ortega’s re-election. “We reiterate our call for the immediate …

US slaps new sanctions on Nicaragua on Ortega’s inauguration day
2 years, 11 months ago

US slaps new sanctions on Nicaragua on Ortega’s inauguration day

Al Jazeera  

The move comes after President Daniel Ortega won a questionable consecutive fourth term in office in November. The United States on Monday imposed a new round of sanctions on Nicaraguan officials, including the defence minister, on the day President Daniel Ortega was sworn into office following highly questionable elections. Monday’s action, the latest sanctions targeting Nicaragua that the US has …

Nicaragua detains former OAS ambassador, critic of Ortega
3 years, 1 month ago

Nicaragua detains former OAS ambassador, critic of Ortega

Al Jazeera  

Edgard Parrales was picked up by unidentified men near his home in Managua, his wife and a rights observer say. Nicaragua’s former ambassador to the Organization of American States – who has been critical of President Daniel Ortega – has been detained in Managua, according to his wife and a human rights observer. Edgard Parrales was picked up by identified …

Nicaragua’s Ortega decries foes who question his re-election
3 years, 1 month ago

Nicaragua’s Ortega decries foes who question his re-election

Associated Press  

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — A day after questioned elections, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s government on Monday set about painting as a historic democratic victory what many of the world’s democracies condemned as a sham. Ortega and Vice President and first lady Rosario Murillo celebrated the election results in Managua’s Revolution Plaza later Monday, with Ortega unleashing a torrent of abuse on …

EXPLAINER: What comes next after Nicaragua’s election
3 years, 1 month ago

EXPLAINER: What comes next after Nicaragua’s election

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega holds a commanding lead in results from Sunday’s election against a field of little-known challengers. The global human rights organization Amnesty International called Ortega’s apparent reelection “frightening.” “Once again, the people of Nicaragua find themselves in a situation where voicing criticism of the government puts them at grave risk,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas …

Nicaragua’s Ortega set to win another term after ‘farce’ election
3 years, 1 month ago

Nicaragua’s Ortega set to win another term after ‘farce’ election

Al Jazeera  

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is on track to win a fourth consecutive term in office, preliminary results show, in an election denounced as “neither free nor fair” that was preceded by a months-long crackdown on opposition figures and candidates. Shortly before the early results were released, US President Joe Biden accused Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, of …

The ‘deep human rights crisis’ hanging over Nicaragua’s elections
3 years, 1 month ago

The ‘deep human rights crisis’ hanging over Nicaragua’s elections

Al Jazeera  

President Daniel Ortega is set to win a fourth straight term, but rights groups say November 7 vote is not free or fair. “These elections are taking place in the context of a deep human rights crisis,” Astrid Valencia, Central America researcher at Amnesty International, told Al Jazeera. “The government has charged many with serious crimes without providing substantiating evidence, …

Op-Ed: Daniel Ortega, the freedom fighter-turned-despot in Nicaragua, runs for reelection
3 years, 1 month ago

Op-Ed: Daniel Ortega, the freedom fighter-turned-despot in Nicaragua, runs for reelection

LA Times  

When I left my house in Nicaragua in May to visit my children abroad, a fleeting thought crossed my mind: What if I was never able to return? Although Daniel Ortega’s regime had grown sharply more repressive and dangerous in response to a citizens revolt in 2018, I still didn’t seriously imagine that in a few months I would find …

Nicaragua’s President Ortega calls bishops ‘terrorists’
3 years, 2 months ago

Nicaragua’s President Ortega calls bishops ‘terrorists’

Associated Press  

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaragua’s increasingly isolated President Daniel Ortega called Roman Catholic bishops “terrorists” Monday and said many countries would have arrested them. Ortega appeared to be referring to a pro-democracy plan submitted by Nicaragua’s council of bishops during those talks. At least seven opposition contenders have been jailed this year on vague treason charges, discrediting the Nov. 7 elections …

Nicaragua’s poll body disqualifies main opposition party
3 years, 4 months ago

Nicaragua’s poll body disqualifies main opposition party

Al Jazeera  

Nicaragua’s electoral council has disqualified the country’s main opposition party from upcoming presidential polls, in which it headed an alliance against the reelection of President Daniel Ortega. The council ordered on Friday the “annulment of the legal status of the Citizens for Liberty party,” according to a court resolution read before pro-government media by the body’s secretary, Luis Luna. According …

Nicaragua’s upcoming election ‘has lost all credibility’, US says
3 years, 4 months ago

Nicaragua’s upcoming election ‘has lost all credibility’, US says

Al Jazeera  

US condemns President Daniel Ortega’s crackdown on opposition leaders and potential opponents ahead of November 7 polls. The upcoming election in Nicaragua “has lost all credibility”, the United States has said, amid a string of arrests of presidential hopefuls and the disqualification of the main opposition party set to challenge President Daniel Ortega in the November polls. “The United States …

Nicaraguan police detain opposition VP hopeful, party says
3 years, 4 months ago

Nicaraguan police detain opposition VP hopeful, party says

Al Jazeera  

Berenice Quezada is under house arrest, her Citizens Alliance for Liberty party says, as President Daniel Ortega’s crackdown continues. Police in Nicaragua have detained a vice-presidential hopeful seeking to contest the country’s November vote, her party said on Wednesday, as a crackdown by President Daniel Ortega’s government on opposition leaders and presidential challengers continues. “Quezada … is under house arrest …

Nicaragua opposition names presidential ticket to take on Ortega
3 years, 4 months ago

Nicaragua opposition names presidential ticket to take on Ortega

Al Jazeera  

Nicaragua’s main opposition alliance has named a former right-wing fighter and a beauty queen as its candidates to take on President Daniel Ortega in November’s general election. The Citizens Alliance for Liberty’s announcement on Wednesday comes amid a wave of arrests of opposition figures, with more than two dozen people – including seven presidential hopefuls – arrested during the past …

Another Nicaraguan presidential hopeful arrested in crackdown
3 years, 5 months ago

Another Nicaraguan presidential hopeful arrested in crackdown

Al Jazeera  

President Daniel Ortega faces international rebuke for cracking down on potential opponents ahead of November elections. Another potential presidential contender has been arrested in Nicaragua as President Daniel Ortega’s crackdown on potential opponents in the lead-up to November elections continues. “The gravity and intensification of the Ortega government’s brutal crackdown on critics and members of the opposition in recent weeks …

US imposes visa curbs on Nicaraguan officials amid crackdown
3 years, 5 months ago

US imposes visa curbs on Nicaraguan officials amid crackdown

Al Jazeera  

US imposes restrictions on 100 Nicaraguan officials it says are involved in government crackdown on political opponents and rights abuses. The United States has imposed visa restrictions on 100 Nicaraguan officials it accuses of being involved in President Daniel Ortega’s escalating crackdown on political opponents ahead of November elections and other rights abuses. “The gravity and intensification of the Ortega …

Ambassadors recalled after latest Nicaragua arrest
3 years, 6 months ago

Ambassadors recalled after latest Nicaragua arrest

LA Times  

Nicaraguan journalist Miguel Mora speaks to the press June 11, 2019, after his release from prison, at his home in Managua. The presidential candidate was arrested Sunday, according to police, for alleged crimes against “independence and sovereignty.” Mexico and Argentina recalled their ambassadors to Nicaragua for consultations Monday, a day after President Daniel Ortega’s government arrested yet another presidential contender …

Nicaraguan banker arrested in widening crackdown
3 years, 6 months ago

Nicaraguan banker arrested in widening crackdown

Al Jazeera  

Observers accuse President Daniel Ortega of targeting opposition leaders and other figures in advance of November elections. Police in Nicaragua have arrested a leading banker as a crackdown on opposition political leaders and would-be presidential candidates seeking to challenge President Daniel Ortega continues before a planned election later this year. Luis Rivas Anduray, executive president of the private Banco de …

More opposition leaders arrested in widening Nicaragua crackdown
3 years, 6 months ago

More opposition leaders arrested in widening Nicaragua crackdown

Al Jazeera  

Critics accuse President Daniel Ortega of cracking down on opponents ahead of elections set for later this year. More prominent opposition leaders have been arrested in Nicaragua, as concerns grow over what observers have described as a crackdown on President Daniel Ortega’s opponents ahead of elections set for later this year. On Sunday, Nicaraguan police said Barahona was arrested for …

Nicaragua: Crackdown on Ortega’s potential challengers continues
3 years, 6 months ago

Nicaragua: Crackdown on Ortega’s potential challengers continues

Al Jazeera  

US imposes sanctions on Nicaraguan officials after four potential challengers to President Daniel Ortega arrested. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega faces mounting international criticism after four potential presidential contenders were detained during the past week, prompting United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday to call for their release. Chamorro Garcia, the cousin of another detained presidential hopeful Cristiana Chamorro – seen …

Nicaragua police detain another opposition presidential hopeful
3 years, 6 months ago

Nicaragua police detain another opposition presidential hopeful

Al Jazeera  

Arturo Cruz’s detention comes three days after opposition presidential candidate Cristiana Chamorro was placed under house arrest. Police in Nicaragua has taken opposition politician Arturo Cruz into custody, detaining a second presidential hopeful in less than a week and escalating the battle ahead of November elections in which President Daniel Ortega seeks to maintain his grip on power. Cruz’s detention …

Discover Related