Condemning the Violence, Persecution, Intimidation, and Murders Committed by the Government of Nicaragua against Its Citizens

The document analyzed for this period is a bill passed by the United States House of Representatives to condemn the oppressive actions of the government of Nicaragua against its citizens. This bill was passed in response to the acts of oppression that the Nicaraguan government has continued to execute against its citizens. The Nicaraguan government has continued to oppress its citizens because of protests that began on April 18, 2018 against Daniel Ortega, the current President, and his social security reforms, which were removed five days after protests began, that increased taxes and decreased benefits. The contents of this bill detail instances of brutal repression that still occur in the Neoliberalism & Beyond Period. 

The bill indicates that “since April 18, 2018, the Nicaraguan government, the Nicaraguan National Police, or militias controlled by the Nicaraguan government have been responsible for escalating violence, committing murders, and many cases of torture and disappearances” (Ros-Lehtinen 2018). The mentions of violence, murder, torture, and disappearances as actions taken by the government against its citizens exemplify the type of harsh repression that still takes place in Latin America in the Neoliberalism & Beyond Period. The bill also mentions instances such as “Mother’s Day in Nicaragua, May 31, 2018, press reports stated that peaceful marches to support the mothers of the victims of the earlier protests encountered violence from ‘the repressive police and shock forces,’ leaving 15 dead and nearly 200 injured in the cities of Managua, Esteli and Masaya” (Ros-Lehtinen 2018). Once more, the description of the Nicaraguan government’s killings and disruption of protests further indicates how brutal repression by governments toward citizens has persisted in the Neoliberalism & Beyond era.

Works Cited:

Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana. 2018. 164 H7194 (115th Congress) Condemning the Violence, Persecution, Intimidation, and Murders Committed by the Government of Nicaragua against Its Citizens.

Mendoza, Celia. 2018. Protestas En Managua. https://www.voanoticias.com/a/nicaraguenses-piden-di%C3%A1logo-en-marcha-convocada-por-la-empresa-privada/4362060.html (April 18, 2020).

By: Giovanny Bravo