The NGO Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh) said Monday that Nicaragua is suffering the “most perverse repression” in its “recent history”, with the government of President Daniel Ortega, in power since 2007.
“When going out to the streets, listening to the testimonies and the cries of the first victims, we find ourselves with the most perverse repression in our recent history, that of the Ortega Murillo (presidential couple),” Cenidh said in a public statement with occasion of its 32nd anniversary.
The Cenidh was created in 1990 by the activist Vilma Núñez, who was already defending the rights of people under the dictatorship of the Somoza family, overthrown in 1979 after 42 years of mandate.
“In all this time we have fought against four different governments. We were the companion always present next to the people. This is how April 18 (2018) arrived and there we were with more strength and determination in the face of barbarism”, highlighted the Cenidh, referring to the anti-government demonstrations four years ago, which left at least 355 dead, according to data from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
Cenidh’s complaints were rejected by the Nicaraguan authorities, who in December 2018 canceled its legal personality and expropriated its assets.
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“In the midst of attacks on unarmed civil society, in the midst of persecution, we accompany and defend Nicaragua. We bring to the world the truth about the crimes of the dictatorship, which decided to silence us, canceled our legal personality, usurped our facilities, stole our assets and documentary collection, but did not destroy our commitment to Nicaragua and human rights,” the organization added.
The Cenidh maintains that it has documented cases of torture in Nicaragua, the presence of Cuban agents in attacks against students, the death in prison of former Sandinista historical guerrilla Hugo Torres, the arbitrary arrest of hundreds of opponents and other alleged violations of human rights.
“Despite the permanent threat of silence, discredit, make us invisible, corner us and frighten us, we have decided to continue the fight and, aware of the risks and limitations, we will continue to be consistent until we defeat impunity,” he stressed.
In Nicaragua, with the vote of the Sandinista deputies and their allies, who are the majority in the National Assembly (Parliament), it canceled the legal status of at least 187 NGOs since December 2018, eight months after the popular revolt broke out, originating for some controversial reforms to social security and that was described as an attempted coup by Ortega.
The Government, through the Ministry of the Interior, ordered in the last week the closure of another 25 Nicaraguan NGOs, including two that support women victims of violence and one that rescues young people from gangs, bringing the total to 212.
Nicaragua has been going through a political and social crisis since April 2018, which has been accentuated after the controversial general elections on November 7, in which Daniel Ortega was re-elected for a fifth term, fourth consecutive and second along with his wife, Rosario Murillo. , as vice president, with her main contenders in prison.
