Nicaragua - October 2023

Nicaragua’s electoral authority (Consejo Supremo Electoral, CSE) has cancelled the legal personality of the Yatama political party, an Indigenous party that mainly represents the Miskito people. The CSE’s relevant resolution did not provide an explanation for the decision. Yatama’s leader and sole member of Congress, Brooklyn Rivera, had been detained in previous days, as had his alternate, Nancy Elizabeth Henriquez, who also holds a leadership position in Yatama. In April, Rivera had also been denied entry to Nicaragua after attending a UN forum in which he had called attention to the invasion of Indigenous lands, stating he had been forced to enter the country through informal crossings along the border with Honduras. In addition, two community radio stations owned by Yatama were confiscated after authorities argued they were operating without the necessary permits.

According to Yatama, the Ortega government’s actions against the party aim to prevent it from participating in regional elections to be held in March, in Caribbean provinces where Yatama maintains considerable support.

Sources: Voz de America, The Guardian, Infobae