Inter-American Court of Human Rights Orders Nicaragua to Protect its Miskito Population

On September 14, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered the Nicaraguan government to ensure the protection of the indigenous group known as Miskitos, who inhabit the Atlantic coastline of the country. The IACHR resolution mentions five specific Miskito villages in the Atlantic region (Klisnak, Wisconsin, Wiwinak, San Jerónimo and Francia Sirpi) and orders “the immediate implementation of actions with the end of eradicating the existing violence [against the Miskitos],” while also calling for the protection of the life, personal integrity, and cultural identity of the indigenous group.

The decision comes several weeks after two Miskitos, known to be leaders of their group, were found dead in early September, their bodies dismembered. The pair had been kidnapped a month before. This murder is the thirtieth of its kind in Nicaragua’s Miskito population in the past two years.

The violence apparently stems from an ongoing issue with their territory, which has been invaded by a group known as “colonos,” or colonists. The colonos, who support the “sanitation of the territory,” have allegedly committed murder and rape, and have also carried out burnings of plantation fields.

The Nicaraguan government has apparently turned a blind eye on the growing problem of violence against Miskitos. The director for Mexico and Central America in the non-governmental organization Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional, Marcia Aguiluz, celebrated the IACHR resolution and highlighted that it sets an important precedent, especially since “[Nicaragua] has not complied with other suggestions from the IACHR,” as reported by the Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa and Latin American human rights organizations.

The resolution urges that the undergoing of said protection must include the participation of Miskito leaders in order to incorporate their perspective and ensure that the indigenous group stays informed.