Nicaragua’s Political Crisis and Its Impact on the United States

Five years ago, Nicaragua’s authoritarian leaders, Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, cracked down on protests, killing 355 individuals between April 2018 and July 2019. In response, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights established the Special Follow-up Mechanism for Nicaragua (MESENI) to investigate the regime’s abuses. MESENI has interviewed victims and met with local human rights groups and other civil society organizations that are documenting human rights abuses. Despite the international scrutiny, the regime continues to repress the democratic opposition. In February, it expelled 222 political prisoners to the United States. It has also targeted the Catholic Church, breaking off diplomatic relations with the Vatican, banning Easter processions, and unjustly sentencing Bishop Rolando José Álvarez to 26 years in prison. To learn more about the deteriorating human rights conditions in Nicaragua and the implications for the United States and the region, please join us for our conversation. The dialogue is part of the Wilson Center’s Hemisphere of Prosperity and Freedom series.