Indigenous peoples in Nicaragua face alarming levels of violence and land grabs by illegal settlers, increasing the risk of ethnocide, Right Livelihood told the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday.
Addressing the 50th session of the Council, our statement called on the UN human rights body to ensure that Indigenous communities in Nicaragua are protected and that those violating their rights are punished.
“Indigenous communities are suffering a humanitarian crisis due to forced displacement. Those who remain in their territories are subject to constant attacks by illegal settlers,” our statement said.
“Indigenous communities in #Nicaragua are suffering a humanitarian crisis due to forced displacement," we warned @UN_HRC today."
Those who remain in their territories are subject to constant attacks by illegal settlers."
Read our statement ➡️ https://t.co/YOUmxKVlpV pic.twitter.com/DxrikplPmk
— Right Livelihood (@rightlivelihood) June 16, 2022
Despite repeated calls by the Human Rights Council, the Nicaraguan government has not only allowed but even promoted the activities of illegal settlers, in breach of Nicaragua’s own laws.
At the same time, human rights activists are facing judicial prosecution and even imprisonment for raising attention to these crimes.
“Since January, a total of 199 civil society groups, including Indigenous organisations, were liquidated by the government,” the statement noted.
While the Council’s decision to set up a Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua was an important first step, it is important that they pay particular attention to the abuses faced by Indigenous communities, the statement stressed.
