An Amnesty International delegation led by Americas Director Erika Guevara-Rosas will travel to San José from 3 to 6 September to discuss the human rights crisis in Nicaragua with Costa Rican officials, including a meeting with the Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Epsy Campbell Barr, on 4 September.
“The state repression in Nicaragua has forced thousands of people to leave their homes and seek refuge in Costa Rica, including many who were forcibly displaced for simply exercising their right to freedom of expression,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas.
“Costa Rica has welcomed a significant number of people from Nicaragua in recent years. It is time for the people of Costa Rica to show solidarity for their neighbours once again and for the authorities to protect all those who come in hope of rebuilding their lives in safety.”
Amnesty International has documented crimes under international law and grave human rights violations in Nicaragua since the government of President Daniel Ortega began repressing demonstrations on 18 April. At least 322 people have since been killed, the majority at the hands of Nicaraguan police and pro-government armed groups, while thousands more have been injured and hundreds have been arrested.
Erika Guevara-Rosas will be accompanied in Costa Rica by Astrid Valencia, Amnesty International’s Researcher for Central America, and Belissa Guerrero, Advocacy Coordinator for the Americas. All three will be available for interviews.
Amnesty International released its first report on the state repression, Shoot to Kill: Nicaragua’s strategy to suppress protest, on 29 May and has since continued to document human rights violations in Nicaragua.