Nicaragua Withdraws from UN Human Rights Council Amid Repression Allegations

Nicaragua has announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council, following a report by UN experts urging international action against the Ortega regime's severe human rights violations. Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Valdrack Jaentschke characterized the Council as politicized and accused it of undermining the country's sovereignty. Vice President Rosario Murillo echoed these sentiments, labeling the decision as irrevocable and dismissing the UN findings as fabrications. The report highlighted the government's repression, including extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions, particularly in the aftermath of the 2018 anti-government protests, which resulted in over 300 deaths. Nicaraguan authorities are accused of transforming the nation into an authoritarian state devoid of independent institutions, with ongoing reports of intimidation against dissidents both domestically and in exile. Critics of the Ortega regime continue to call for accountability and express concern over the erosion of civil and political rights in Nicaragua.