Nicaragua closes US Chamber of Commerce and 150 other organizations
Nicaragua’s government has closed another 151 nongovernmental organizations, among them some of the most important trade organizations, including the American Chamber of Commerce.
Brazil expels Nicaraguan ambassador in retaliation as rift between leaders grows
Brazil’s government has kicked out Nicaragua’s ambassador to the nation in retaliation for a similar move by the Central American country’s President Daniel Ortega.
UN experts accuse Nicaragua's government of abuses 'tantamount to crimes against humanity'
A panel of U_N_-backed human rights experts has accused Nicaragua’s government of committing “serious systematic human rights violations, tantamount to crimes against humanity.”.
Nicaragua's crackdown on Catholic Church spreads fear among the faithful, there and in exile
Nineteen priests kicked out of the country, dozens of incidents of harassment and church desecrations, rural areas lacking worship and social services.
A last sticking point in border security negotiations is humanitarian parole. Here's what that means
President Joe Biden is closing in on a Senate deal on border security and Ukraine funding as the White House tries to resolve one of the last major sticking points in the talks.
Nicaragua says it released Bishop Rolando Álvarez and 18 priests from prison, handed them to Vatican
The Nicaraguan government says it has released Bishop Rolando Álvarez and 18 Catholic clergy members from jail and handed them over to Vatican authorities.
Persecution of Catholics in Nicaragua worsens, activists say. Here is a timeline:
The persecution of Roman Catholics in Nicaragua under the administration of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, includes the detentions of two bishops, 15 priests, and two seminarians, according to activists who are tracking the cases.
Archbishop of Miami follows Nicaragua’s ‘off the rails’ persecution of Catholic priests
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s administration has targeted at least a dozen Roman Catholic priests and a bishop and closed a Catholic-run university after national demonstrations against him.
Police charge director of Miss Nicaragua pageant with running 'beauty queen coup' plot
Nicaraguan police say they want to arrest the director of the Miss Nicaragua pageant, accusing her of intentionally rigging contests so that anti-government beauty queens would win the pageants as part of a plot to overthrow the government.
A new study says about half of Nicaragua's population wants to emigrate
A new study says that about half of Nicaragua's population of 6.2 million want to leave their homeland because of a mix of economic decline and repression from President Daniel Ortega's government.
Nicaragua’s Miss Universe title win exposes deep political divide in the Central American country
Nicaragua’s increasingly isolated and repressive government thought it had scored a rare public relations victory last week when Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios won the Miss Universe competition.
Nicaragua’s exiled clergy and faithful in Miami keep up struggle for human rights at Mass
For the auxiliary bishop of Managua, fellow priests and many in the pews who have had to flee or were exiled from Nicaragua recently, the Sunday afternoon Mass at a Miami parish is not only a way to find solace in community.
Alumni grieve for Jesuit-run university seized by Nicaraguan government that transformed their lives
The government of President Daniel Ortega described the Jesuit-run University of Central America in Nicaragua as a “center of terrorism” and seized its property, buildings and bank accounts on August 16.
Nicaraguan government seizes highly regarded university from Jesuits
The Jesuits say Nicaragua's government has confiscated the University of Central America in Nicaragua, which is one of the region’s most highly regarded colleges.
New ferry linking El Salvador and Costa Rica aims to cut shipping times, avoid border problems
A new ferry line for commerce moving through Central America began operating Thursday, directly connecting El Salvador and Costa Rica to the exclusion of Nicaragua and Honduras.
A wave of political turbulence is rolling through Guatemala and other Central American countries
Central America is experiencing a wave of unrest that is remarkable even for a region whose history is riddled with turbulence.
Brazil's president offers to try to win release of bishop imprisoned in Nicaragua
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is offering to help try to gain the release of a Roman Catholic bishop imprisoned in Nicaragua.
Iran president rails against US sanctions during visit to Nicaragua
In his first visit to Latin America, Iran’s hardline president has met with his Nicaraguan counterpart and railed against a theme both leaders have in common: U.S. sanctions.
In Nicaragua, Holy Week celebrations limited by government
Roman Catholics in Nicaragua have had to hold traditional “Stations of the Cross” and other Holy Week processions on church grounds or inside the churches amid a ban on public demonstrations.
Nicaragua proposes suspending Vatican ties after comments
Nicaragua ’s government says it has proposed suspending relations with the Vatican days after Pope Francis compared President Daniel Ortega’s administration to a communist or Nazi dictatorship amid a crackdown on the Catholic Church in the country.
Fear, anxiety follow Nicaraguan faith leaders into exile
Dozens of priests, nuns, seminarians and church workers have fled Nicaragua in recent years, or been exiled by President Daniel Ortega’s government, which considers them a threat.
Fleeing Nicaraguans a boon to economy back home
Remittances to Nicaraguans sent home last year surged 50%, a massive jump that analysts say is directly related to the thousands of Nicaraguans who emigrated to the U.S. in the past two years.
Nicaragua's vote to strip opponents of citizenship
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has sent 222 political leaders, priests, students, activists and other dissidents to the United States, whose release was long demanded by the international community.
Pope worried about Nicaraguan bishop sentenced to 26 years
Pope Francis on Sunday expressed sadness and worry at the news that Roman Catholic Bishop Rolando Álvarez, an outspoken critic of the Nicaraguan government, had been sentenced to 26 years in prison in the latest move against the Catholic Church and government opponents.
Nicaraguan bishop who refused exile gets 26 years in prison
Roman Catholic Bishop Rolando Álvarez, an outspoken critic of Nicaragua’s government, has been sentenced to 26 years in prison and stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship, the latest move by President Daniel Ortega against the Catholic church and his opponents.
Nicaragua frees 222 opponents of Ortega, sends them to US
President Joe Biden says he is happy 222 Nicaraguan prisoners sent to the U.S. have been released, but time will tell if the move signifies a real change in Nicaraguan policies.
Sandinistas complete their political domination of Nicaragua
Nicaragua’s Sandinista National Liberation Front has completed its political domination of the country by winning local elections decried as unfair in all 153 of the country’s municipalities.
Biden targets Nicaragua's gold in new move against Ortega
The Biden administration is ratcheting up pressure on President Daniel Ortega’s authoritarian rule in Nicaragua, banning Americans from doing business in the nation’s gold industry, threatening trade restrictions and stripping the U.S. visas of some 500 government insiders.
Argentine judge launches probe into Nicaragua abuse claims
A judge in Argentina has launched a criminal investigation into Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario María Murillo to determine whether they are responsible for crimes against humanity.
Nicaragua charging exiled opponents' relatives
Exiled Nicaraguan economist Javier Álvarez received terrible news this week: his wife, daughter and son-in-law, jailed three weeks ago by the government of President Daniel Ortega, had been formally charged with serious crimes back in Nicaragua.
Pope: Vatican seeks talks on Nicaragua's Catholic crackdown
Pope Francis says the Vatican is in contact with the Nicaraguan government about its crackdown on the Catholic Church and hoped that “at the very least” nuns from Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity religious order would be allowed to return to the country.
Fleeing Nicaraguans strain Costa Rica's asylum system
Since the summer of 2021, when Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega locked up dozens of political opponents ahead of November’s presidential elections, Nicaraguans have been seeking asylum in Costa Rica at the highest levels since Nicaragua’s political crisis exploded in April 2018.
Concern that Nicaragua repression could be "model" in region
Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega’s government has closed seven radio stations this week owned by the Roman Catholic church, as well as two other outlets serving the largely rural northern area with a history of opposition.
Nicaragua finally shows off a dissident a year after arrest
The wife of Nicaraguan political activist Félix Maradiaga told journalists her husband had lost more than 65 pounds during his year in prison and she feared for his health.
Nicaragua government takes over five opposition-held towns
Nicaraguan riot police have taken over the city halls of five municipalities that had been in the hands of an opposition party, four months before scheduled municipal elections.
US sanctions Nicaraguan gold mining firm over ties to Russia
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Nicaragua’s state-owned gold mining company and the president of its board of directors partly over the Central American nation’s ties to Russia.
Nicaragua authorizes entry of Russian troops, planes, ships
The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has authorized Russian troops, planes and ships to deploy to Nicaragua for purposes of training, law enforcement or emergency response.
Nicaragua government laying waste to civil society
Nicaragua’s Sandinista-controlled congress has cancelled nearly 200 nongovernmental organizations this week, ranging from a local equestrian group to the 94-year-old Nicaraguan Academy of Letters, in what critics say is President Daniel Ortega’s attempt to eliminate the country’s civil society.
Nicaraguan bishop fasts to protest police harassment
A Roman Catholic bishop in Nicaragua has begun an “indefinite fast” inside a church to protest increasing harassment from national police, who he said followed him throughout the entire previous day.
Nicaragua tightens grip on universities to stifle dissent
Four years after university students led protests against Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega’s government, his administration is minimizing the chance of a reoccurrence by seizing a dozen private universities and closing them or shifting control to the state.
US mulls booting Nicaragua from trade pact over crackdown
The Biden administration is considering trying to expel Nicaragua from a lucrative regional free trade pact to retaliate against President Daniel Ortega’s crackdown on his opponents.
Putin hosts leader of Brazil for talks amid Ukraine crisis
Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro for talks in Moscow and hailed ties between the two countries, which he described as “friendship and mutual understanding.”.
Argentina protests Iranian suspect at Nicaragua event
The presence of a senior Iranian official at the investiture of Nicaragua’s president has angered Argentina, which alleges the official was involved in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people.
Ortega sworn in for 4th straight term as Nicaragua's leader
Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega has been sworn in for a fourth consecutive term following elections considered rigged and on a day marked by sanctions from the United States and European Union against members of his government.
Mexico overhauls handling of migrants to release pressure
Benjamín Villalta, a 39-year-old Nicaraguan, couldn’t believe that a Mexican immigration office would open in the middle of the night to give him and some 40 other migrants humanitarian visas that would allow them to move about Mexico and work.
Nicaragua's Ortega decries foes who question his re-election
A day after questioned elections, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s government has set about painting as a historic democratic victory what many of the world’s democracies condemned as a sham.
Demonstrations held by local Nicaraguan community as country holds presidential election
Many are questioning the legitimacy of the country's election after President Daniel Ortega had many of his opponents arrested.
Nicaragua's Ortega seeks re-election in questioned vote
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is seeking a fourth consecutive term as voting begins in elections against a field of little-known candidates while those who could have given him a real challenge sit in jail.
Nicaraguans will head to the polls Sunday, in what the international community is calling a ‘sham’ election
On Sunday millions of Nicaraguans will head to the polls in what the international community is calling a "sham" election, following several arrests of potential political opponents, carried out by longtime President Daniel Ortega's government.
2,000 migrants continue trek through southern Mexico
More than 2,000 mostly Central American migrants were walking along a highway in southern Mexico toward the town of Huixtla where security forces had deployed, possibly signaling that authorities would soon try to break up the group.
Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramirez to live in exile in Spain
Writer and former Nicaraguan Vice President Sergio Ramírez says he will live in exile in Spain, after the government of President Daniel Ortega tried to arrest him and banned his latest book.
US restricts more visas for Nicaraguans close to government
The United States has slapped visa restrictions on 50 immediate family members of Nicaraguan officials who have been involved in or benefited from President Daniel Ortega’s growing repression.
EU slaps sanctions on Nicaraguan first lady, 7 others
The European Union is slapping sanctions on Nicaraguan first lady and Vice-President Rosario Murillo and seven other senior officials accused of serious human rights violations or undermining democracy.
Nicaragua arrests 6 more opposition figures; EU weighs move
Nicaraguan police arrested a half dozen more opposition figures, including the sixth presidential hopeful to have been arrested in a crackdown that started last month.
Loved and decried, El Salvador's populist leader is defiant
In El Salvador, most are not bothered by President Nayib Bukele’s dictatorial maneuvers -- sending armed troops into congress to coerce a vote, or ousting independent judges from the country’s highest court, paving the way to control all branches of government.
Nicaragua places former first lady under house arrest
Nicaragua police say they have placed former first lady María Fernanda Flores Lanzas, wife of former President Arnoldo Aleman, under house arrest for alleged crimes against the state.
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar to Nicaraguan president: ‘You cannot oppress your people’
Miami U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar said on Thursday that there is a bipartisan effort in Congress to put more pressure on a dictator in Central America with new sanctions.
Nicaraguan government pursues NGO in widening crackdown
Nicaraguan authorities have ordered the capture of a former education minister and a businessman as the government’s crackdown continued to expand beyond leaders of the political opposition.
Local leaders meet to discuss ongoing crisis in Nicaragua
The organization of American States held an emergency meeting on Tuesday, to discuss the ongoing political situation in Nicaragua. An overwhelming majority voted to condemn the recent arrests.
Nicaragua arrests of opposition leaders ‘spells fear,’ critics say
At least 12 opposition leaders have been arrested in Nicaragua, and pressure is mounting against President Daniel Ortega, who is in his fourth term in office.
US calls on Nicaragua to free opposition figure Chamorro
The U.S. State Department has called on Nicaragua to free opposition figure Cristiana Chamorro, who is being held incommunicado at her home after her laptops and cellphones were taken away.
US urging Central America to tackle poverty, corruption
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is trying to entice Central American nations to tackle the corruption and poverty that have helped drive a surge of migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border and presented an early challenge for the Biden administration.
Nicaragua creates Ministry of Extraterrestrial Space Affairs
FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2018 file photo, Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega and his wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo, lead a rally in Managua, Nicaragua. The Central American country has created a National Ministry for Extraterrestrial Space Affairs, The Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga, File)MANAGUA – Nicaragua has created a new National Ministry for Extraterrestrial Space Affairs, The Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, which is drawing amused reactions on social media in a nation that has been struggling since anti-government protests three years ago. The agency was approved by 76 legislators Wednesday in the country’s congress, which is dominated by President Daniel Ortega’s Sandinista Party. Critics said the country does not have the money to spare for dreams of space exploration.
Nicaragua approves Russian COVID-19 vaccine
A nurse shows to the press a vial of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine for COVID-19 during a vaccination campaign inside River Plate stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)MANAGUA – Nicaragua’s government said Wednesday that it had approved Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. “Nicaragua is advancing in its negotiations with Russia to supply” the vaccine, said the government outlet El 19 Digital. It was the first vaccine approved in Nicaragua, which still awaits its first doses. Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela are among other left-leaning governments in the hemisphere that have approved the vaccine.
Ex-foreign correspondent reflects on risks for US reporters
There is increasing concern for the safety of journalists covering protests at state capitals across the U.S., and in Washington. This week, now as a reporter in Oregon, I attended virtual training by the state police on what to do if there's a shooting rampage in the Oregon Capitol. The Legislature’s leadership, for the first time, included journalists in the training after several were assaulted by rioters outside the state Capitol in December. What has happened at the Oregon Capitol is a clear example of how those divisions have become sharper and more bitter. Until last year, protests at the marble-sheathed state Capitol had been relatively mild.
Nicaragua essentially bans opposition from 2021 elections
FILE - In this May 26, 2018 file photo, the Spanish word for "Murderer" covers a mural of Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega, as part of anti-government protests demanding his resignation in Managua, Nicaragua. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix, File)MANAGUA – Nicaragua’s ruling party-dominated Congress passed a law Monday that would essentially ban opposition candidates from running in the 2021 presidential elections. The elections are scheduled for Nov. 7, 2021, and despite term limits — which Ortega has already exceeded — the 75-year-old leader is expected to run again. Nicaragua’s two main opposition groups had announced earlier this year that they will form a coalition to compete in the 2021 race. The U.S. government says it is pressing Ortega to hold free and fair elections and respect basic rights.
Nicaragua approves “cybercrimes” law, alarming rights groups
MANAGUA – Nicaragua’s unicameral legislature approved legislation on Tuesday mandating prison sentences for those who use online platforms to spread false information or information that could raise alarm among people. The bill had been pushed by President Daniel Ortega’s ruling Sandinista Front party and had raised alarm among opposition and human rights groups, who described it as a threat to free speech. Azucena Castillo, a legislator from the conservative Liberal Constitutionalist Party called the law “an attack on freedom of expression." “This law seeks to control and censor information on the internet, which is the only space that dictators cannot control,” the country's Independent Press Forum, a media group, said in a statement earlier this month. The other new law will monitor and control those who receive funding from abroad, including nongovernmental organizations and those working for foreign media outlets, by making them register as “foreign agents” and tracking the money they receive.
US slaps sanctions on more top Nicaraguan officials
MANAGUA – The U.S. Treasury Department slapped sanctions Friday on Nicaragua’s attorney general, the U.S.-born private secretary to President Daniel Ortega and a savings-and-loan business. The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control said the sanction decision “targets corrupt financial operations and Ortega regime supporters.” The move blocks the U.S. assets of the officials and prohibits U.S. citizens from dealing with them. The office said she formed a group of prosecutors who worked with police ”to fabricate cases against political prisoners and their families." The sanctions also hit Secretary of the Presidency Paul Herbert Oquist Kelley. The U.S. has also slapped sanctions on Gen. Julio Avilés, the head of Nicaragua’s army, Treasury Minister Iván Acosta and the country's National Police.
Latin America's evangelical churches hard hit by pandemic
Throughout Latin America, a traditionally Catholic region with a surging evangelical presence in nearly every country, evangelical churches have kept spreading the Gospel despite government measures meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In at least two countries, evangelical pastors have died in alarming numbers during the pandemic. Some have attended evangelical services in the city of Atalaia do Norte and then brought the virus to our lands," he said. In Nicaragua, evangelical churches large and small stayed open too at least at first. Back in Nicaragua, many evangelical churches have reopened, some with health precautions, like Bethel where congregants are asked to bring their own hand sanitizer.
During pandemic, Nicaraguan doctors face political pressure
MANAGUA Inside Nicaragua's public hospitals, the walls are plastered with political propaganda, ruling-party activists ensure no information leaks out, and doctors were once forbidden from wearing masks. The government did not respond to a request for comment on the doctors' dismissals and the allegations of repression. Doctors have confirmed the relatives' suspicions, saying hospital administrators order virus deaths be categorized otherwise to keep official numbers low. The result has been dozens of sickened medical workers and more than 70 deaths, according to a count kept by the Medical Associations of Nicaragua. He had been voluntarily treating COVID-19 patients who were turned away from hospitals in Len and Chinandega, in western Nicaragua.