Consejo de Comunicación y Ciudadanía, June 11th 2019
REPORT ON ACTIONS CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN (PDDH) IN THE CONTEXT OF THE VIOLENT EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN NICARAGUA SINCE APRIL 18, 2018, AND THEIR CONTINUATION IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LAW FOR THE INTEGRAL ATTENTION OF THE VICTIMS
In compliance with the mandate established by Law No. 212 "Law of the Office for Human Rights Ombudsman," we have followed up on the violent events that occurred in our country since April 18, 2018, events that caused loss of human lives, injuries and material damages, with serious consequences for the peace and stability of the Nicaraguan nation, for which the PDDH has carried out the following actions:
• On April 27, 2018, the Victims Committee was created by the PDDH, in order to contribute with the State institutions in guaranteeing the respect of the human rights of the persons affected by the aforementioned events.
• The Victims Committee began receiving all the complaints and carying out on-site visits in order to process and investigate each of the cases, having carried out 170 visits to 198 families of deceased persons, in Managua, Masaya, Granada, Carazo, León, Chinandega, Estelí, Madriz, Matagalpa, Jinotega, Boaco, Chontales, Rio San Juan, and the Caribbean Coast.
• Likewise, the Victims Committee visited and requested information from different State institutions, in order to know the procedures to be carried out for the fulfillment of their functions.
• The registry of victims, both deceased and injured, and material damages caused by the destruction of public and private property was created, and it has been verified that among the victims there are members of the National Police, citizens that participated in violent events, Sandinista sympathizers, and other citizens-bystanders not related to the events.
• It is necessary to point out that the Office of the Ombudsman for Human Rights did not record any cases of missing persons, that were in the protests, except for the disappearance of Compañero Bismark de Jesús Martínez Sánchez, Deputy Director of Ornamentation of the Municipality of Managua, who was kidnapped by criminal groups in the Jinotepe roadblock since June 29, 2018; was tortured, murdered and his remains were found and identified at the end of May 2019, with which the death toll would rise to 199.
• As of July 2018, the PDDH, has increased the frequency of its visits to the main detention centers and prisons of the country, where most of the persons detained for having committed the violent events that occurred since April 18, 2018; in the framework of its mandate to monitor, supervise and protect the human rights of these people. Currently these visits take place twice a week.
• This Institution has prepared various reports which denounces, condemns and rejects all the violent events that have occurred since the failed attempted coup of April 18 in our country. These reports were widely disseminated in the 38, 39 and 40 Session of the UN Human Rights Council during 2018 and 2019.
• In accordance with Article 3 of Law No. 994, The Law for the Integral Attention to Victims, approved by the National Assembly on May 29, 2019, the Office of the Ombudsman for Human Rights prepared a work plan to organize and update the registry of victims, as well as to follow up and monitor the attention being provided by all the institutions involved.
In that regard, the PDDH is developing the following actions:
• Coordination with authorities involved in the Plan for the Integral Attention of Victims.
• Updating lists of victims, persons injured and all persons whose property suffered damages.
• Inter-institutional meetings in order to define joint actions and follow up on the attention provided to victims and their families.
• During the week of June 3-7, 2019, work sessions were held with the Delegation of the Government of Reconciliation and National Unity to the Negotiation Table for Understanding and Peace in Nicaragua and with authorities of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Family, Children and Teenagers, in order to present the work plan of the PDDH, exchange information and coordinate actions.
• During this week, sessions will be held with authorities of the OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, NATIONAL POLICE, INSTITUTE OF LEGAL MEDICINE, THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDANT, SUPREME COURT OF JUSTICE, MINED, MEFCCA and Youth Movements. • Likewise, meetings will be held with the Commission for Truth, Justice and Peace to exchange information on the work done.
• Meetings with religious leaders from Managua, Ciudad Sandino, Tipitapa, Leon, Matagalpa, Estelí, Masaya, Jinotepe and Carazo.
• Visits to relatives of the deceased and injured, as well as to the victims of the destruction of private property in the context of the violent events occurred since April 18, 2018, in order to monitor the attention received by the corresponding institutions.
Finally, the Office of the Ombudsman for Human Rights supports all the efforts that the State of Nicaragua has been taking to safeguard peace, common good and peaceful coexistence; in order to guarantee comprehensive attention and reparation to the victims and their families in the context of the violent events that have occurred since April 18, 2018, as well as to continue in pursuit of national reconciliation, understanding and the consolidation of peace in our country.