Nicaragua: Ortega Finally Accepts Human Rights Investigation

Mission of the IACHR will be able to investigate the events of April 18, 2018 to date.

By Carlos Salinas Maldonado  (Confidential)

HAVANA TIMES – The Government of Nicaragua announced today that it will allow a mission of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to visit the country to “observe the human rights situation”, informed the secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro.

Almagro reported the positive response from the Government through his official Twitter account. The secretary-general showed an official letter signed by Foreign Minister Denis Moncada Colindres in which he approved the requests to visit the country made by the executive secretary of the CIHD, Pablo Abrao on April 26 and May 10.

“The Government of Nicaragua expresses its consent for the Commission to make such a work visit as soon as possible, with the objective of observing in situ the situation of human rights in Nicaragua in the context of the events of April 18, 2018 to date, “reads the letter signed by Moncada, who also affirms to Abrao that the Foreign Ministry will “facilitate and give” the necessary assistance during the stay of the IACHR mission in the country.

The entrance of the IACHR to the country is one of the main requirements posed by the Catholic Church to the Government to sit down at a dialogue table in order to find a way out of the crisis that the country is experiencing, exacerbated on Saturday when Ortega ordered a bloody repression in Masaya, a city where many residents are demonstrating against his Government. The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH) counts one dead and dozens injured by the harassment of the Ortega paramilitaries.

In addition to the visit of the IACHR, the bishops called for the “suppression of the paramilitary bodies and the shock forces” and “not using the National Police” in repressive actions against the population. Also “that all kinds of repression against civilian groups that protest peacefully stop immediately and ensure the physical integrity of university students”.

Another requirement is to respect “dignity and freedom”, whereas public employees should not be obliged to attend governing party activities and rallies.  

The population responded massively to the attack Saturday in Masaya. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans mobilized on Sunday from Managua and other parts of Nicaragua for a massive show of support for the Masaya residents, as well as to demonstrate resistance to the regime. The protesters demanded the immediate departure of Ortega. “Ortega is no longer president,” they chanted.