The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemned the murder of five indigenous people, the dispossession of plots from community members, and the attacks carried out by settlers against several families in the Wilu community, of the Mayangna Sauni As territory, on the North Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua.
The attack on the indigenous community happened on March 11, 2023, in the early hours of the morning. An indeterminate group of heavily armed settlers murdered Jesmin Jacobo Lázaro, Lenín Vilchez Patrón Flores, Alberto Castillo Palacio, Jorge Enor Palacio Samuel and Morgan Díaz Palacio, all men and under 30 years of age, with firearms and bladed weapons, according to the Territorial Government Mayangna Sauni As.
In addition, the settlers left a balance of three people injured, 16 houses burned, more than 70 families affected and evacuated in the Musawás community.
Related news: They demand concrete actions to stop the violence of settlers against indigenous communities in Nicaragua
The defender of the environment and human rights of the indigenous communities of Nicaragua Amaru Ruiz said to Article 66 that there is currently a situation of alert, because in addition to the murder of the five people, there are an equal number of wounded from two different communities. “This was the result of the massacre and burning of at least 16 homes in the Wilu community,” Ruiz said.
The environmentalist pointed out that these actions are due to the repercussions of the increase in violence in the Mayangna Sauni As territory and within the core zone of the Bosawás biosphere reserve. “We are talking about systematic attacks of the invasion processes that continue despite the multiple complaints that have been made,” he said.
The IACHR also highlighted that this it was not the only attack against the Mayangna community. On March 6 and 10, the indigenous were also attacked by settlers.
Given the seriousness and repetition of the attacks that have been committed in the area, on February 13, 2022, the human rights defender organization granted precautionary measures in favor of the communities of Wilu, Musawas and Suniwas.
The agency urged the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo to “investigate and punish those responsible” for the attack on the Wilu community.
Likewise, it urged the Ortega administration “to adopt urgent care and reparation measures, in consultation with the Wilu community and in accordance with the precautionary measures granted by the IACHR.”
