On Tuesday, Amnesty International (AI) stated that no one in Nicaragua is safe from the “repressive model” imposed by the government of Daniel Ortega, which threatens human rights in an “unprecedented” manner.

“Nicaragua’s repression leaves no one safe,” said Ana Piquer, AI’s Americas director, in a statement.

“From indigenous leaders, journalists, human rights defenders, and anyone seen as a risk to the government’s policies, the authorities continue to solidify the climate of fear in which dissent is punished with imprisonment, exile, or disappearance,” she added.

Since the anti-government protests in 2018, which Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, consider an attempted coup promoted by the United States, hundreds of people have been “unjustly imprisoned” and many have been forced into exile, according to AI.

At least 300 people died in the protests, according to the United Nations.

Advertisement

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20240813_lechematerna_728x91

20240701_vacunacion_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

20230816_dgs_728x90

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

CEL

The human rights organization urged Ortega’s government to “immediately halt all repressive practices,” ensure human rights, and end the “criminalization of dissent.”

Recently, the NGO Colectivo Nicaragua Nunca Más reported over 2,000 arbitrary arrests and at least 229 cases of torture of detainees since 2018.

Additionally, Amnesty labeled imprisoned Miskito indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera as a “prisoner of conscience” and demanded his release along with dozens of other detainees.

The Mechanism for the Recognition of Political Prisoners in Nicaragua currently lists 45 people detained for political reasons in the country.

Since February 2023, Ortega’s government has stripped about 450 politicians, businessmen, journalists, intellectuals, human rights activists, and religious figures of their Nicaraguan nationality after they were exiled or expelled from the country.

Advertisement

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20240813_lechematerna_728x91

20240701_vacunacion_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

20230816_dgs_728x90

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

CEL

Amnesty demanded “an end to the practice of arbitrary deprivation of nationality, as well as the full restoration of the rights of those deprived of it,” and urged the international community not to remain “indifferent” to the situation in Nicaragua.

Ortega, a 79-year-old former guerrilla fighter who ruled Nicaragua in the 1980s and has been in power again since 2007, enacted a broad constitutional reform in November that stipulates that “traitors to the homeland” lose their Nicaraguan nationality, a charge leveled against most of the exiled individuals.

The Finance and Special Budget Committee of the Legislative Assembly issued a favorable opinion today for the bill containing the 2025 General State Budget, which amounts to $9.663 billion. For the first time, this budget does not involve issuing debt for current expenditure.

The opinion was approved after hearing from officials from various government departments, who explained the allocation of public resources as well as what has been executed in 2024.

The priority areas will continue to be education, health, security, and defense, as they will receive 37% of the total budget, amounting to $3.609 billion. Education will receive $1.535 billion for projects under the “Crecer Juntos” (Grow Together) Law, the “Crecer y Aprender Juntos” (Grow and Learn Together) program, the “Mi Nueva Escuela” (My New School) program, the Digital Gap Reduction initiative, Quality and Coverage Improvement for the “Nacer, Crecer y Aprender” (Be Born, Grow and Learn) program, among others.

Health will receive $1.170 billion to strengthen the “Creciendo Saludables Juntos” (Growing Healthy Together) program and Integrated Health, improve infrastructure and equipment for hospitals and health centers, and other areas. Meanwhile, security and defense will receive $903.4 million.

An allocation of $1.700 billion will go to the Annual Public Investment Program.

Advertisement

20241211_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20240813_lechematerna_728x91

20240701_vacunacion_728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

20230816_dgs_728x90

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

CEL

The Government of Costa Rica expressed satisfaction after being accepted as a candidate to join the Pacific Alliance, a bloc in which the Central American country hopes to boost its economy and promote exports.

“We are convinced that with eventual membership in this trade bloc, we will promote the dynamization of our economy and the generation of jobs,” said Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Trade, Manuel Tovar, in a statement. The official emphasized that joining the Pacific Alliance would lead to increased and facilitated intra-regional trade and investment, while also allowing Costa Rica to project itself to the world as a bloc for the promotion of exports, investment, and the strengthening of regional value chains.

The Council of Ministers of the bloc, meeting in Santiago, Chile, approved Costa Rica’s candidacy for full membership, although a special protocol must still be developed in 2025 to finalize the Central American country’s accession.

The Costa Rican government explained that with the guidance of a roadmap created by the working group responsible for the matter, it will follow a process of exchange with the Pacific Alliance to agree on the Protocol in the coming year.