Q24N – The Ortega dictatorship expelled the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from Nicaragua.
On Monday, December 18, 2023, the ICRC published on its website the closure of its offices in Nicaragua at the “request of the Nicaraguan authorities… thus ending its humanitarian mission in the country”.
“In 2018, the ICRC received authorization from the Nicaraguan authorities to open a mission in the country, focused on exclusively humanitarian objectives. In January 2019, the ICRC established a permanent Mission in Managua, and in March of that same year the ICRC and the Government of Nicaragua formalized an agreement to visit detained people.
“The ICRC’s role in Nicaragua has focused in recent years on three major areas of work: supporting the Nicaraguan Red Cross to provide services for Restoring Contact between Family Members and to strengthen its humanitarian work in favor of the most vulnerable people; prevent and address humanitarian consequences of the deprivation of liberty; and training activities on international humanitarian law, the legal framework applicable to tasks in which armed and security forces participate, and international human rights law.
“As it does in more than 80 countries, the work carried out by the ICRC has an exclusively humanitarian purpose, and strictly adheres to the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. Through direct action and bilateral and confidential dialogue with authorities, people affected by humanitarian consequences, and other key interlocutors, the ICRC works to promote environments that respect human life and dignity.
“The ICRC regional delegation for Mexico and Central America reiterates its availability to resume its dialogue and humanitarian action in Nicaragua,” the Red Cross statement said.
In 2019, the ICRC played a vital role in the release of more than 200 political prisoners by the Ortega regime through the implementation of an Amnesty Law. Together with opposition groups, the ICRC was responsible for creating a list of people who had been imprisoned for their beliefs. In 2021, the ICRC made a request to the Ortega regime to visit the political prisoners who had been exiled to the United States and were formerly in El Chipote prison.
However, they were not granted access.
However, the relationship with the Ortega-Murillo regime was already hanging by a thread. In March 2022, the regime expelled Thomas Ess, head of mission of the ICRC. On that occasion, the ICRC office said it was unaware of the ruling party’s reasons for its decision. “It has taken us by surprise,” they said.
Political prisoners, completely unprotected
Although in its Monday statement the ICRC “reiterates its availability to resume its dialogue and humanitarian action in Nicaragua,” human rights defenders expressed concern at losing the only institutional space left in Nicaragua to advocate and care for the 90 political prisoners that the Ortega-Murillo family will be keeping in prison this Christmas.
This figure has been increasing every week, in an effect called “revolving door,” under a totalitarian regime that imprisons priests and even educators, such as Freddy Quezada, a former professor at the National University of Nicaragua (UNAN-Managua).
Quezada, a 65-year-old sociologist, was kidnapped by civilians on November 29 after criticizing the presidential couple on social media. He was later transferred to La Modelo prison.
