UN accuses Nicaragua gov’t of human rights violation

The United Nations has accused the Nicaraguan government of violating people’s rights to an extent that amounts to serious crimes against humanity.This is happening as the government tries to control political opposition.

For many years, President Daniel Ortega’s government has been targeting people who disagree with them. In 2018, huge protests against the government led to a violent crackdown by the authorities.

But in the last year, the government has started to control more and more of society to stop any opposition in the future. This information comes from a group of UN experts who have been looking into the issue since March 2022.

“Nicaragua is in a lot of violence where people who disagree with the government are being targeted and punished,” said Jan Simon, an expert leading the investigation. “The Government has made it difficult for anyone to speak out against them. ”

Ortega’s government keeps saying that the big protests against it in 2018 were actually a failed attempt to take over the government, organized by the United States. And when people criticize the government, it usually responds in the same way.

The government has attacked regular people, such as students, Indigenous and Black Nicaraguans, and members of the Catholic Church. Kids and their families are being targeted just because they are related to people who speak out against the government.

In December, the police accused the director of the Miss Nicaragua competition of planning to manipulate the competition against beauty queens who support the government. In February, the government closed down more social clubs, like the country’s scouting group and a rotary club.

The report said the crackdown has spread to people who have left Nicaragua because of government repression. Many of them have gone to the United States and Costa Rica. Many Nicaraguans have lost their citizenship and are now without a country and cannot access important rights.

The UN report asked the Ortega government to let go of Nicaraguans who were put in jail for no reason and also asked leaders from around the world to put more sanctions on people and organizations that are involved in violations of human rights.