The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced this Monday the end of its humanitarian work in Nicaragua, according to a statement in which he assured that the withdrawal was requested by the authorities of that country.
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“At the request of the Nicaraguan authorities, “the ICRC has closed its office in Managua, thus ending its humanitarian mission in the country,” the delegation stated in its letter dated in Mexico City.
In March 2022, The government of leftist President Daniel Ortega had expelled the ICRC delegate in Nicaragua, Thomas Ess, from the country.. The organization and the Ortega government had signed an agreement in January 2019 to visit imprisoned people.
The ICRC had opened its mission a year ago, when the president faced three months of protests that left some 300 dead.according to the UN, as well as numerous injuries and detainees.
The ICRC defended that its actions in Nicaragua focused on three main areas of work. Among them, supporting the Nicaraguan Red Cross to provide services to restore contact between family members and to strengthen its humanitarian work in favor of the most vulnerable people.
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As well as preventing and addressing humanitarian consequences of the deprivation of liberty; and training activities on international humanitarian law, the legal framework applicable to tasks in which armed and security forces participate, and international human rights law.
“As it does in more than 80 countries, the work carried out by the ICRC has an exclusively humanitarian purpose, and strictly adheres to the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence,” he emphasized.
Last May, the Legislature, dominated by Ortega's Sandinista Front, unanimously approved the dissolution of the Nicaraguan Red Cross, which had operated since 1931, after accusing her of violating neutrality in the demonstrations that the government denounced as an attempted coup d'état sponsored by the United States.
He also decided to confiscate her properties and replaced her with an agency attached to the government.
Why did Ortega attack the Red Cross?
The rejection of the ruling party towards the local Red Cross It was due to the fact that its volunteers treated opposition protesters injured in the protestsaccording to opposition media (published abroad).
Daniel Ortega's regime expelled #Nicaragua to the International Committee of the Red Cross. After outlawing the local organization through Parliament, the dictatorship moved ahead with the humanitarian work carried out by the members of the office.https://t.co/0HTQ7cpebx
— CarlosSanchezBerzain (@Csanchezberzain) December 19, 2023
The ICRC regional representation for Mexico and Central America “reiterates its availability to resume its dialogue and humanitarian action in Nicaragua,” the statement added.
More than 2,000 private organizations have been banned in Nicaragua accused of violating the lawsincluding business unions and Catholic universities.
Faced with a proposal from Ortega, in June 2022, Congress closed the Nicaraguan Academy of Language and 82 other non-governmental organizations, accused of carrying out activities outside the law.
Last March he ended his relations with The Vatican, after Pope Francis described Ortega's government as “a rude dictatorship.”
Pope Francis presides at a Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe,
Last week, Nicaragua also withdrew its ambassador in Buenos Aires after the arrival of Javier Milei to the Argentine presidency.who has repeatedly criticized the Managua government.
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Also days ago, the owner of the local Miss Universe franchise, Karen Celebertti, presented her resignation after the contest was won by the Nicaraguan Sheynnis Palacios, the first Central American to be crowned at the gala held in El Salvador.
Celebertti was accused by the police of “conspiracy”, “treason” and “money laundering” after massive celebrations in the streets, despite the fact that demonstrations have been prohibited since 2018. Ortega's vice president and wife, Rosario Murillo, said that the celebration led to a “destructive coup.”
AFP
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