The Members of the British Parliament called on the Government to take “more proactive actions to address the atrocities” committed by the Nicaragua government.
In a report called “The Silencing of Democracy in Nicaragua” this week, three All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) – the APPGs on Central America, International Freedom of Religion and Belief, and International Law, Justice, and Accountability – said democracy is being eroded “piece by piece” in the Central American country, reported Crux.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega took power in 2007, he is known to jail and persecute challengers to his authority. In 2018, Ortega accused church leaders of attempting to overthrow the government when they acted as mediators after deadly protests broke out that left more than 300 people dead.
“This silencing of democracy in Nicaragua is manifested in atrocities that are classified by international experts, including the UN Group of Experts on Nicaragua, as crimes against humanity. They need to be addressed as such,” said David Alton, a member of the House of Lords.
He said the new report set out to collect evidence but also to identify practical and meaningful steps that can be taken by the UK Government, and other countries, “to push this issue up the international agenda.”
Alton said throughout February and March, the parliamentarians held several oral hearings and took evidence online and in person from witnesses and experts at the Houses of Parliament.