Nicaragua Rejects U.S. Report on Human Rights Violations Under Ortega Government

The Nicaraguan government has dismissed a U.S. State Department report that criticized the country for human rights violations under President Daniel Ortega's administration. The annual report on human rights worldwide highlighted the persecution of political opponents, closure of civil society organizations, and suppression of free speech and media in Nicaragua.

In response, the Nicaraguan government accused the U.S. of interfering in its internal affairs and claimed the report lacked objectivity. Officials maintained that the government is addressing human rights issues and denied the allegations made in the U.S. report.

The dispute underscores the ongoing tensions between the two countries over the state of human rights and democracy in Nicaragua. The U.S. report detailed how the Ortega government has closed over 3,500 civil society organizations, stripped more than 300 people of their citizenship, and held over 100 political prisoners in poor conditions. Family members of opposition members in exile have also faced surveillance, harassment, detention, and wrongful conviction.

Why this matters: The human rights situation in Nicaragua has deteriorated significantly under the Ortega government, with widespread crackdowns on political opposition, civil society, and press freedom. The international community's scrutiny and condemnation of these actions put pressure on the Nicaraguan government to address these issues and respect fundamental human rights.

The case of Wendy Flores, a human rights defender who was forced to flee Nicaragua due to the government's crackdown, illustrates the dire situation faced by activists in the country. Flores, who co-founded the human rights collective 'Nicaragua Nunca Más' in exile, had to leave behind her family after the government started canceling the legal status of civil society organizations and detaining their members in 2018.

Journalists have also been targeted, with over 240 Nicaraguan journalists currently in exile. A panel at the 17th Ibero American Colloquium on Digital Journalism featured exiled journalists from La Prensa newspaper and Nicaragua Actual website who spoke about the challenges they face, including the risk of arrest, threats against their relatives, and the uncertain future of Nicaraguan journalism. They called for continued reporting on the situation in Nicaragua and help in focusing attention on the plight of journalists like their imprisoned colleague Victor Ticay.

The U.S. State Department report also highlighted human rights concerns in other leftist-governed countries in the region, such as Cuba, where there are over 1,000 political prisoners facing ill-treatment, and Venezuela, where the judiciary has been used to intimidate and prosecute government critics. The Nicaraguan government's rejection of the report's findings and accusations of U.S. interference reflect the strained relations between the two countries as international pressure mounts over the human rights situation under Ortega's rule.

Key Takeaways

• Nicaraguan govt dismissed US report criticizing human rights violations under Ortega.
• Report detailed closure of 3,500+ civil society orgs, 300+ stripped of citizenship, 100+ political prisoners.
• Wendy Flores, a human rights defender, forced to flee Nicaragua due to govt crackdown.
• Over 240 Nicaraguan journalists in exile, face arrest, threats, and uncertain future of journalism.
• US report also highlighted human rights concerns in Cuba and Venezuela under leftist govts.