UN Report: LGBT People and Women Face Political Repression in Communist Nicaragua

According to a report by the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, women and members of the LGBT community are facing political repression by the government of this communist country.

The document notes that state repression, which began following anti-government protests in 2018, uses gender as an instrument of control and pressure. Hundreds of women, including activists, journalists, as well as Indigenous and LGBT individuals, have been subjected to human rights violations and political persecution.

UN experts state that many women have become targets of state violence due to their participation in protests against the government. They have faced arbitrary detention and physical violence. As Group member Reed Brody explained, the ideal woman for the Nicaraguan authorities is an obedient mother, while those who do not fit this image are persecuted as political opponents.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo accuse international organizations of interference, and their political opponents of attempting a coup. According to non-governmental organizations, the repression has resulted in political prisoners and mass emigration of opposition figures who have been stripped of their citizenship.