Nicaragua

An enormous concentration of power in the executive has allowed President Daniel Ortega’s government to commit egregious abuses against critics with complete impunity. The human rights crisis in Nicaragua, which began with the repression of protests in April 2018, continues to deteriorate. Over 30 government critics remain behind bars and 222 others were released in February 2023, sent to the United States, and abusively stripped of their Nicaraguan nationality. The government has cancelled the legal status of thousands of nongovernmental organizations and enacted laws that violate freedom of expression and assembly. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans have been forced to leave their country in recent years due to lack of opportunities or fear of persecution.