HomeNewsBriefAs Nicaragua Violence Soars, Doubts About Those Responsible Disappear
BRIEF

As Nicaragua Violence Soars, Doubts About Those Responsible Disappear

HOMICIDES / 16 JUL 2018 BY PARKER ASMANN EN

Civilian protestors continue to be targeted in Nicaragua by police and government-backed paramilitaries as doubts disappear about who is behind the killings.

Police and armed pro-government groups known as “parapolice” in Nicaragua killed at least 10 people during several clashes in various cities over the weekend amid the latest round of violence since protests against the administration of President Daniel Ortega began in April, according to La Prensa.

The most documented of these assaults began July 13, when parapolice groups armed with high-powered weapons carried out a 15-hour attack on some 200 students and others trapped inside a church near the campus of the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua - UNAN) in the capital Managua, Nicaraguan journalist Ismael López, who was among those pinned down, reported for the BBC.

Two students were killed and at least 10 others were injured in the siege before medical personnel could reach them the following morning.

SEE ALSO: Nicaragua News and Profiles

Over the next two days, parapolice groups deployed across the country to carry out several other coordinated attacks and targeted kidnappings. At least eight others -- including a 10-year-old girl -- were killed in these attacks while several others remain disappeared, according to La Prensa.

The latest bloodshed comes after at least 20 individuals were killed July 8 by parapolice groups in western Carazo department. Since April 18, the Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights (Asociación Nicaragüense Pro Derechos Humanos - ANDPH) has recorded at least 351 deaths, more than 2,000 injuries, nearly 330 kidnappings, hundreds of disappearances and the possible presence of clandestine graves.

InSight Crime Analysis

The Nicaraguan government has issued blanket denials about its responsibility, pointing the finger instead at "terrorists" who it says are targeting police.

"This is a country that knows how to overcome great tragedies," Ortega's wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo said in a statement issued by the government. "We have grown in patience, prudence, wisdom and faith. We know that God is just and that evil cannot prevail over what is good. This is why the actions of a small group of terrorists will not prevail over the will of the vast majority of the people."

But the government is standing alone. Indeed, if there were doubts surrounding who is responsible for the hundreds of killings in Nicaragua in recent months, they have been completely washed away.

In recent days, Human Rights Watch issued a statement condemning the government for its role in the killings and naming the top officials in the police who it says is responsible.

Following a visit to Nicaragua in May, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) also wrote a report strongly criticizing the Nicaraguan government for "the excessive and arbitrary use of police force, [and] the use of parapolice forces or shock groups with the acquiescence and tolerance of State authorities." 

As InSight Crime previously reported, parapolice groups working in conjunction with the national police were thought to be the primary forces implicated in the killings. 

International observers have for months now denounced the use of parapolice groups and demanded that Ortega dismantle them in order to put an end to the repression. As the violence continues to escalate, there is a growing risk that these groups may soon become criminal organizations engaged in other illicit activities.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

CARIBBEAN / 16 NOV 2021

Rival factions, secret burial sites, homicidal bosses – the ongoing trial of dozens of members of the Klansman gang in…

ARGENTINA / 25 OCT 2022

Bolivia's cocaine trade is on the up. Originally a coca leaf cultivator, Bolivia has moved to cocaine production.

CARIBBEAN / 7 JUN 2022

Several brutal killings have shaken the small Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia, as murders in the country reach record…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.