Political Tensions in Nicaragua Heighten as Opposition Leader Faces Arrest
The political crisis in Nicaragua seems to have risen to a new high after a judge issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Félix Maradiaga on September 24. The Nicaraguan police have killed approximately 300 Nicaraguans since April in the wake of anti-government protests. Hundreds more have been as taken political prisoners, and a United Nations Report on Human Rights condemned the Ortega government for persecuting government opponents as Nicaraguans flee their homeland to escape the worst violence since the Contra rebels in the 1980s.
This is not the first time Maradiaga, a key figure in the anti-Ortega movement, has faced federal persecution. The Nicaraguan government previously accused him of a wide variety of crimes, including terrorism and narcotrafficking. Most recently, Maradiaga was indicted with financing the anti-Ortega protests through his think tank, the Institute of Strategic Studies and Public Policies (IEEPP).
Though Maradiaga is not currently believed to be in Nicaragua, the police have already taken steps to gather evidence of his alleged organization and financial support of anti-government demonstrations. They raided the office of the IEEPP on September 28. Maradiaga denied all of these charges, stating that he has “always been guided by justice, non-violence, and integrity.”
Maradiaga’s fate is not immediately clear, although it is unlikely that he will return to Nicaragua given the charges brought against him and the recent warrant for his arrest. The fate of the political movement is also rather ambiguous. What started five months ago as a protest against the Ortega government's reduced welfare benefits has dramatically intensified to a general movement against President Ortega and his repressive administration.
The United Nations and various human rights groups, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, have made significant statements on the developing crisis in Nicaragua. During a statement made at the UN’s General Assembly on September 27, Costa Rica’s Vice President Epsy Campbell called for an international intervention in Nicaragua, calling the situation in Nicaragua “unsustainable” and a gross violation of human rights. Campbell also noted the influx of refugee applications to Costa Rica as thousands of Nicaraguans attempt to leave their country for nearby nations.
The Ortega government has denied taking any political prisoners or committing any human rights violations. Previous dialogue on democratization in Nicaragua has all but ceased since mid-June. A breaking point seems close as violent repression only escalates.