The arrival of human rights defender Carla Sequeira with her eleven-year-old son in the United States, where she turned herself in to the immigration authorities of that country, sparked solidarity among people and organizations that work to promote human rights, as well as which again put the focus on the high migration of citizens who leave Nicaragua, seeking security -or jobs- outside the country.
Sequeira is the fourth member of the Nicaraguan Human Rights Commission (CPDH) that goes into exile in the United States, in the face of the persecution of the Ortega regime that canceled the legal status of this organization and keeps jailed Dr. Maria Oviedowho was sentenced for an Ortega judgeto eight years in prison, for the alleged “conspiracy to undermine national integrity” and for “spreading false news.”
Upon hearing the news about defender Sequeira, Braulio Abarca, defender of the ‘Nicaragua Never Again’ Human Rights Collective, denounced the persecution against defenders, pointing out the “structural violence” they suffer, which forced Sequeira “to move to the United States.” United… together with his minor son, trying to cross the Rio Grande in order to search, one way or another, security as a human rights defender”.
Lawyer Yonarquis Martínez posted on her Twitter account: “My friend and colleague Carla Sequeira turned herself in to US immigration today at eight in the morning with her child. It was a very difficult journey: she is sick. I ask the authorities to welcome her and assist this human rights defender.”
My friend and colleague Carla Sequeira today turned herself in to US Immigration at eight in the morning with her child. It was a very difficult journey. She is ill. I ask the Authorities to welcome her and assist this human rights defender. pic.twitter.com/u26Nl1k08r
– Yonarqui Martinez G (@YonarquiM) May 27, 2022
The president of the CPDH, Marcos Carmona, who had to go into exile in the United States after the regime closed the Commissionalso confirmed to 100% Noticias, that Sequeira was already in that country, and that he will rejoin the CPDH team in Miami when he recovers, after his asylum request is approved.
Protect the defenders
Abarca, from the ‘Nicaragua Never Again’ Human Rights Collective, pointed out how “the escalation of violence and repression that the Government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has initiated, against human rights defenders, has generated not only the arbitrary closure of organizations that defend the fundamental rights of the Nicaraguan population; but also the arbitrary, illegal confiscation of their property, as well as the closure of spaces democratic.
For this reason, he considered it “necessary to make an appeal to the international community” so that they begin to make migration processes more flexiblefor refugees and asylum seekers, in addition to raising awareness among immigration authorities on issues of forced displacement.
Abarca defined that “it is crucial and fundamental that the international community knows that human rights continue to be violated in Nicaragua and proof of this is the forced displacement of thousands and thousands of Nicaraguans.”
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 100,000 Nicaraguans have fled the country since the sociopolitical crisis that erupted in 2018with massive civic protests.
