Interactive Dialogue on the High Commissioner’s Report on Nicaragua
Statement by the United States of America
UN Human Rights Council – 46th Session
Geneva, February 25, 2021
As Delivered by Sean Mariano Garcia
Thank you, Madame High Commissioner, for the clear-eyed review of the situation in Nicaragua.
The United States shares your concern that the government continues to protect officials, security forces, and armed groups implicated in human rights abuses from investigation or prosecution. Continued detention of peaceful protesters and crackdowns against peaceful opposition and media including the recent forced closure of the Nicaragua chapter of PEN International must cease. Life threatening conditions, torture, and sexual violence in detention are unacceptable.
We are concerned over the lack of meaningful electoral reform in advance of November elections. Laws that effectively bar participation by opposition parties and candidates, close civil society organizations, and treat dissent as a hate crime or terrorism take Nicaragua further from free and fair elections. We encourage Nicaragua to re-engage with the OAS and OHCHR to address existing human rights concerns and put in place conditions necessary for free and fair elections in November.
I would like ask, what steps are you taking to re-open dialogue with the government of Nicaragua?