Seven years after the beginning of the crisis in Nicaragua, IACHR condemns consolidation of the authoritarian regime

April 14, 2025

Washington, DC—Seven years after the beginning of the human rights crisis in Nicaragua, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemns the continued state repression and the consolidation of an authoritarian regime. It also expresses its solidarity with the victims and families of the serious human rights violations perpetrated since April 18, 2018, remembers the more than 300 people who lost their lives in the context of state repression, and reaffirms its commitment to promote and protect human rights in Nicaragua.

The human rights situation in Nicaragua remains one of the most critical in the region and continues to deteriorate. Through its Special Follow-up Mechanism for Nicaragua (MESENI), the Commission continues to receive information on serious rights violations such as arbitrary detentions; allegations of forced disappearances; violations of due process and judicial guarantees; cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of persons arbitrarily deprived of their liberty; restrictions on freedom of movement; arbitrary deprivation of nationality; banishment; as well as religious persecution and severe restrictions on civic space, both in the physical and digital environment.

To this must be added the constitutional reforms published in February of this year, among which the centralization of absolute control of political power in the Presidency, headed by a Co-President and a Co-President, stands out as the most repressive. With this, the dismantling of democratic institutions is consolidated under the appearance of legality, as well as a series of reforms contrary to international human rights standards, in a State in which the checks and balances of a democratic system have ceased to exist several years ago.

Currently, according to the Mechanism for the Recognition of Political Prisoners, there are 42 people arbitrarily deprived of their liberty, in conditions contrary to human dignity, which are included in the record of more than 2,000 arbitrary detentions registered since the beginning of the crisis in 2018. In 2024, the IACHR adopted 13 precautionary measures to protect persons at serious and irreparable risk and requested the extension of two provisional measures before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which were granted.

According to the information received, 5,441 civil society organizations that played a key role in social, religious, development and educational areas were arbitrarily cancelled since 2018. In numerous cases, these cancellations have been accompanied by confiscation and illegitimate appropriation of assets.

In this context of closing civic space, persecution against journalists, human rights defenders, journalists, artists and any person perceived as an opponent persists. The government maintains control over the media and the digital environment through censorship mechanisms, manipulation of the penal system and restrictive administrative measures that seek to silence critical voices and consolidate its information monopoly. In this sense, last March 13, the arbitrary blocking of websites operating under the domain.com.ni, including those of media outlets such as Confidencial, La Prensa, 100% Noticias and Onda Local, was registered.

Persecution of religious leaders and faith communities continues through arbitrary arrests, expulsions and confiscation of property in retaliation for their work. Since 2023, at least 46 religious leaders have been detained, released from prison and subsequently expelled from the country. In addition, the Government continues to impose severe restrictions on religious freedom, including the prohibition of celebrations in public spaces, the monitoring of ceremonies, the moderation of sermons, and the criminalization of expressions of faith.

Violence against indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples on the Caribbean Coast continues to worsen, driven by the invasion of settlers and the expansion of extractive activities. Armed settlers seek to dispossess communities of their ancestral territories through the use of violence, resulting in forced displacement. This situation persists under state tolerance, consolidating a context of violence, impunity and lack of protection for the affected communities.

Additionally, more than 450 people have been arbitrarily stripped of their nationality, which has generated cases of statelessness. Furthermore, according to information provided by civil society organizations, since January 2024, at least 290 cases of nationals who have been denied entry to the country have been documented, and 348 acts of migratory repression, such as forced displacement and collective expulsions. To date, more than 400,000 people have been forced to flee Nicaragua to protect their lives, integrity and personal freedom. Similarly, the Government exercises arbitrary control over the renewal of identity documents and confiscates valid travel documents.

The IACHR urges the State of Nicaragua to immediately cease human rights violations, reestablish the rule of law, and immediately release all persons arbitrarily deprived of their liberty for political reasons. It also calls on the international community to redouble its efforts to demand an end to the repression and to adopt concrete measures for the reestablishment of democracy in the country.

Finally, the IACHR reiterates its solidarity with the victims and their families for the serious human rights violations perpetrated since April 18, 2018, and reaffirms its commitment to continue promoting and protecting human rights in Nicaragua. To this end, it will continue to closely monitor the situation in the country through MESENI, denounce the violations recorded and regularly publish updates on the situation on its website.

The IACHR is a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate derives from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission is mandated to promote the observance and defense of human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The IACHR is composed of seven independent members who are elected by the OAS General Assembly in their personal capacity and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 073/25

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