Respect National Sovereignty: Nicaragua Expels Human Rights Groups Citing USA Bias, Interventionist Attitude

The Nicaraguan government of President Daniel Ortega has ordered the expulsion of two international missions of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday (19 December), accusing them of biased evaluation and pursuing United States policy interests in the region, reports The Tribune.

The two entities which have been expelled are the Special Follow-up Mechanism for Nicaragua (MESENI) and the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI). In a letter to Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General, Luis Almagro, the Nicaraguan government stated that the ban would remain in place ‘until conditions of respect for sovereignty and internal affairs are re-established.’

The letter further lambasted the ‘interventionist attitude’ of the two missions, alleging that they were acting at the behest of the United States against the Latin American nation.

The Nicaraguan government cited GIEI’s interviewing of victims directly as a violation of an understanding between them.

The suspension order comes one day before GIEI was supposed to reveal its findings on the human rights situation during the initial weeks of anti-government protests, which have been ongoing since April.

GIEI coordinator Amerigo Incalcaterra dismissed the accusations but stated that the organisation has received advice to not go forth with presenting its findings.

MESENI for its part has said that it will continue observing the situation in Nicaragua from Washington.

The OAS General Secretariat has released a statement expressing disappointment in the move as it ‘further places Nicaragua into the terrain of authoritarianism.’

This decision comes in the wake of the Nicaraguan government’s crackdown on local human rights organisations through permit revocations and police raids. A UN human rights mission had also been expelled in September.

At least 320 people are believed to have been killed in the Nicaraguan government’s violent suppression of a grassroots protest movement against the present regime.