US Trade Office launches investigation into Nicaragua human rights abuses. human rights news
A federal office in charge of shaping foreign trade policies in the United States has announced that it will launch an investigation of the government of Nicaragua for “persistent attacks on labor rights, human rights, and the rule of law.”
On Tuesday, the Office of the United States Trade Representative reported that it had received “numerous credible reports” that the Nicaraguan government has committed “repressive” acts, including politically motivated arrests and extrajudicial killings.
“Such actions increase exploitation of workers and reduce opportunities for economic growth and business,” the office’s press release said.
The United States Trade Representative is a cabinet-level position in the United States, serving directly under the President. Since 2021, Katherine Tai has served in the role under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
In Tuesday’s press release, Tai said it was a goal of the outgoing administration to ensure “worker-centered trade policy.”
“Unfortunately, multiple reports show that the Nicaraguan government is engaging in repressive acts that harm its workers and the people of Nicaragua, undermine fair competition, and destabilize our sector,” Tai said.
Their decision to investigate the government of Nicaragua was timed to coincide with International Human Rights Day, a date established by the United Nations to raise awareness.
Under the Trade Act of 1974, the US Trade Representative can initiate investigations into policies that may harm commerce with the country.
It was the latest in a series of U.S. actions against the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, whose wife, former Vice President Rosario Murillo, had recently become his co-president.
The US has already imposed sanctions on several Nicaraguan officials and judges for human rights abuses, including stripping dissidents of their citizenship and property to silence them.
A leader in the 1979 Nicaraguan Revolution, Ortega has long been at odds with the US. He helped overthrow a US-backed dictator during the revolution, and during his first presidency from 1979 to 1990 he faced armed opposition from US-funded right-wing militias.
When Ortega returned to the presidency in 2007, he assumed control of most of Nicaragua’s government.
Just last month, their allies in the National Assembly gave preliminary approval to a constitutional amendment that would give Ortega and Murillo more power over almost all government bodies, including the regional and municipal levels.
It extended the presidential term to six years and expanded government control over the media and the Catholic Church to prevent “foreign” influence. Ortega has long accused the US and other international institutions such as the Catholic Church of fomenting dissent against his leadership.
Nevertheless, domestic and foreign critics have warned of violence and oppression under the Ortega government.
Just this week, the Nicaragua Never Again Human Rights Collective, a human rights group based in neighboring Costa Rica, released a report about torture experienced by critics of the regime.
It found that at least 229 political prisoners had experienced “crimes against humanity” while in government custody since 2018.
That year, protests broke out against government plans to raise taxes and reduce social security benefits, and the government responded with harsh action.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights estimates that about 2,090 people were detained in the five years after the protests began. More than 355 died.
The Nicaragua Never Again Human Rights Collective found that at least 183 men and 46 women were tortured by the government, including beatings, rape, and death threats against themselves or their loved ones.
Other alleged forms of torture mentioned in the report were electric shocks, extended periods of isolation, and forced removal of teeth and nails.
