Violence and the Democratic Transition in Nicaragua

For almost two months, Nicaragua has faced street demonstrations along with continued government repression and violence that have left at least 83 dead.

To date, attempts to resolve the crisis have not succeeded. The Catholic Church organized and mediated a national dialogue with the participation of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, the private sector, civil society, students and farmers. However, the government rejected the Church’s proposal for a transition to democracy, leading to wider protests that were met with paramilitary forces and police violence. The recent visit of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to Nicaragua to assess the situation and determine the magnitude of violations included a formal request that the government end the use these repressive techniques.

Tensions continue to mount and have risen to their highest point yet, with little certainty about a future resolution.

To review these developments and what lies ahead, the Inter-American Dialogue is pleased to host a panel discussion on Monday, June 4th with Azahalea Solis from the National Dialogue Commission and Paulo Abrão from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Follow this event on Twitter at #NicaraguaProtests and @The_Dialogue.

Speakers

Azahalea Solis

Member, Movimiento Autónomo de Mujeres and the National Dialogue Commission (@AzahaleaSolis)

Paulo Abrão

Executive Secretary, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) (@PauloAbrao)

Juan Sebastián Chamorro

Executive Director Nicaraguan Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUNIDES)

Commentator

Manuel Orozco

Director, Migration, Remittances and Development Program, Inter-American Dialogue (@ManuelOrozco65)

 

Please note that this event will be held in Spanish without interpretation.