Nicaragua's Human Rights Crisis Under Scrutiny at the United Nations
On 13 November, Nicaragua appeared before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva to report on how it has stood by its commitments to uphold human rights over the past five years, as part of what is known as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
When the Nicaraguan government last reported to the UN in May 2019, it had already been a year since largely peaceful demonstrations against proposed changes to the security system were met with brutal repression. Reports from rights organisations such as the Coalition Nicaragua Lucha and Amnesty International show that since then state violence has resulted in more than 350 deaths[1], tens of thousands of individuals, including political activists, human rights defenders, journalists, artists and religious leaders pushed into exile, and over 5,000 civil society and non-governmental organisations forced to close.[2] The impact has been acute. As a UN report published in September notes, the Nicaraguan government continues to “persecute not only those who express dissenting opinions but also any individual or organisation that operates independently or does not fall directly under their control.”[3]
Despite this alarming scenario, the Nicaraguan government’s report to the UPR portrays a positive picture including that:
- Civil society organizations can operate in accordance with their internal statutes, provided they do not violate national laws;
- Based on the principles of “Christianity, socialism, and solidarity,” the government is committed to ensuring the enjoyment of human rights for all, emphasizing the importance of “national peace and stability as foundational for advancing human rights”;
Nicaragua’s report also highlights Nicaragua’s foreign policy, which it states promotes respect for international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter, positioning this approach as part of the government’s broader commitment to human rights. However, numerous civil society organizations, inside Nicaragua and abroad, have made their own submissions to the UPR that challenge this official state narrative, presenting a different picture of the country’s human rights record. Among the issues raised are those that also affect the rights of artists and cultural workers, including:
- The misuse of laws related to public order and national security: Laws related to public order and national security are used to wrongfully imprison artists and to limit cultural initiatives in Nicaragua. This has led to the criminalization of artistic expression, with several artists facing charges and prosecution for the views they express in their works. Some artists who received foreign or private funding have been arrested under these laws.
- Harassment, persecution, and labelling of political dissidents: Artists, journalists, and political dissidents face harassment, surveillance, and persecution under laws labelling them as “traitors to the homeland”, leading to arbitrary detentions and loss of nationality. Several individuals stripped of their nationality in 2023 were also rendered stateless.
- The introduction of the Foreign Agents Regulation Law: The introduction of the Foreign Agents Regulation Law has forced organizations and individuals receiving funds from abroad to register as foreign agents and refrain from engaging in internal politics, activities, or questions, under penalty of legal sanctions.
- Closure of cultural centers: The unlawful closure of cultural centers and associations by the government has further restricted artistic expression and negatively impacted the cultural landscape in Nicaragua.
Freemuse, alongside its partner organisation Cartel Urbano, welcomes that many UN State parties present at the UPR session on 13 November raised grave concerns around a wide range of issues including suppression of freedom of expression, as the ongoing crackdown on civil society has also significantly and negatively impacted artistic freedom. The closure of organizations and media outlets that monitor, report, and promote transparency serves to conceal the extent of violations, turning the country into a silenced zone where state violence prevails.
The Nicaragua state report to the UPR, the UN High Commission compilation of information on Nicaragua to the UN, and stakeholder submissions can be found on the UN Human Rights Council website here.
[1]Coalicion Nicaragua Lucha (2023) Dictatorship and Repression in Nicaragua: Fighting Against Impunity available at: https://nicaragualucha.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY-2023_ENG.pdf and Amnesty International (2023) Nicaragua: A continuum of oppression and systematic human rights violations under the Ortego-Murillo government, available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/04/nicaragua-systematic-human-rights-violations-ortega-murillo/
[2] IACHR (2024) IACHR condemns massive closure of civil society and religious organizations in Nicaragua, available at: https://www.oas.org/en/IACHR/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/media_center/PReleases/2024/189.asp
[3] United Nations (2024) New UN report details Nicaragua’s ongoing human rights crisis, available at:
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
