Groups linked to state using lethal force in Nicaragua: UN chief
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has alleged that groups tied to Nicaragua’s socialist government are using “lethal” force against opposition protesters, calling for an end to the deadly unrest in the Central American country.
“It’s evident that there is a shocking number of deaths and a lethal use of force by entities tied to the state, that is unacceptable,” Guterres said at a press conference in neighboring Costa Rica on Monday.
Hundreds of people staged a protest rally in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua on the same day, demanding justice for the victims of the allegedly violent crackdown on protests against President Daniel Ortega following the reported killing of 12 more people over the weekend.
“It’s essential to immediately halt the violence and rebuild national political dialog. Only a political solution is acceptable,” added Guterres, who was addressing the 40th anniversary of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
The development came after a report by the Managua-based Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH) alleging that at least 275 people had died since protests broke out in April after Ortega’s administration attempted to slash pension benefits.
Although the government later revoked the plan, its firm response to violent protest actions and riots prompted broader opposition rallies against Ortega, who led the Sandinista revolution in 1979 ousting Nicaragua’s US-backed dictator Anastasio Somoza.
The allegedly violent crackdown on opposition protesters has drawn international condemnation for President Ortega, who faces his biggest test in office since he returned to power in 2007 after being voted out of office in 1990.
Ortega insists that he remains open to dialog, and has invited the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to verify that human rights have been respected in the country.
The Monday remarks by the UN chief echoed an earlier statement by the US State Department demanding that Ortega’s administration immediately heed Nicaraguans’ call for “democratic reforms” and hold early elections. The US has also imposed visa restrictions on individuals it deems responsible for human rights violations or undermining democracy in Nicaragua, as well as their family members.
Nicaraguan opposition political parties have called on Ortega to leave office and hold early elections. He has refused to do either so far.
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