Central America
UN Report Warns of Nicaragua’s “Transnational” Surveillance Network Targeting Dissidents
A special panel of the United Nations accused the government of Nicaragua on Tuesday of diverting public funds to finance the repression of political opposition both inside and outside the country, including through what it described as a “transnational network” of surveillance and intelligence.
The panel presented a new report to the press on the situation in the Central American nation, which has been governed since 2007 by President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president Rosario Murillo.
Based on dozens of interviews and extensive documentary evidence, the report states that since 2018—the year when student protests erupted and were violently suppressed—public funds have been diverted to support repression, including money originally allocated for social assistance programs and public sanitation projects.
According to the report, a “parallel structure” was created within the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front to channel resources toward security operations, pro-government armed groups, and party activities.
The investigation was carried out at the request of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Another key finding of the report concerns the existence of a surveillance and intelligence network that extends far beyond Nicaragua’s borders, allegedly used to monitor, intimidate, and target hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans living abroad.
The report documents an intelligence structure involving the military, police, migration authorities, the telecommunications regulator TELCOR, diplomatic missions, and operators linked to the FSLN.
Central America
UN Rapporteur Warns of “Deep Crisis” in Guatemala’s Judicial System
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, said Monday that Guatemala’s judicial system is facing a “deep crisis” after evaluating the country’s institutional situation.
Speaking at a press conference in Guatemala City, the UN official explained that several factors have weakened judicial independence and placed the justice system in a “critical” situation.
Among the main problems identified were the “instrumentalization of justice,” concentration of power, and persecution of judicial officials, elements that, according to Satterthwaite, undermine the functioning of the rule of law in the country.
Satterthwaite presented these conclusions while releasing her final report on the visit she carried out in May 2025, when she spent 12 days in Guatemala assessing the performance of the judicial system.
During her stay, she met with judges, prosecutors, public defenders, lawyers, lawmakers, civil society organizations, and representatives of Indigenous communities, as well as officials from the executive, judicial, and legislative branches. These meetings took place in Guatemala City and in the departments of Quetzaltenango and Alta Verapaz.
The rapporteur also reiterated her concern about the role of the Public Ministry of Guatemala, noting that the information collected points to the existence of a policy of criminalization against justice operators.
Despite this scenario, Satterthwaite expressed confidence that Guatemala can reverse the situation, highlighting that the country’s Constitution has previously demonstrated the ability to guarantee respect for the rule of law.
She also stressed that key appointments expected in the coming months will be decisive for the future of the judicial system, including the selection of a new Constitutional Court of Guatemala, a new Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Guatemala, and a new attorney general to replace the current head of the Public Ministry, Consuelo Porras.
“The appointments scheduled for 2026 to the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, and the Public Ministry will be decisive in determining whether the current patterns of institutional capture and impunity will be consolidated or reversed,” the rapporteur concluded.
Central America
Guatemala Remains in “Restricted” Press Freedom Category, Chapultepec Index Warns
Guatemala remains in a situation of “restricted” press freedom, weighed down by what has been described as “judicial harassment” against journalists, according to the latest Chapultepec Index released by the Inter American Press Association.
The Central American nation scored 45.20 out of 100 points, placing 13th in the regional ranking, according to the report published Tuesday by the regional journalism organization.
Although Guatemala climbed four positions compared with the previous report, the document warns about what it calls “judicial terrorism”, led by the Public Ministry of Guatemala and the courts. According to the report, criminal law is being used to criminalize and silence critical voices, pushing some journalists toward self-censorship or exile.
The report also highlights that despite the pro-press rhetoric of the government of President Bernardo Arévalo, the justice system and the legislative branch exert the most negative influence on freedom of expression in the country.
The killing of journalist Ismael Alonzo González on March 21, 2025, and the disappearance of Milton René Polanco Orellana between February and May of the same year illustrate the vulnerability faced by media workers.
In addition, the organization warned about legislative initiatives such as the Cybersecurity Law of Guatemala, which could threaten freedom of expression in the digital sphere.
According to the regional press organization, the survival of independent journalism in Guatemala now depends more on civil resistance and international pressure than on the guarantees currently offered by the state.
Central America
Nicaragua Held Responsible for Harassment of Opposition Prosecutor and His Family
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Wednesday found Nicaragua responsible for threats, harassment, and attacks suffered by opposition election monitor Jaime Antonio Chavarría and his family after he reported irregularities during the July 27, 2008 municipal elections.
Chavarría was serving as an electoral verification prosecutor for the opposition Constitutional Liberal Party at a polling station in Managua on election day. He filed a formal objection with local authorities, complaining that the polling center had closed before the scheduled time while voters were still waiting to be verified.
According to the ruling, Chavarría and several relatives present at the site were subjected to insults and threats by a representative of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). As they were leaving the area, they were intercepted and attacked by a large group of individuals allegedly incited by local Sandinista leaders.
“The events were witnessed by police officers who refrained from intervening. Mr. Chavarría Morales and his relatives, who suffered various injuries, managed to escape in their vehicle, which the aggressors attempted to set on fire,” the court detailed.
Chavarría reported the incident to the National Police, but the case was ultimately shelved in May 2016. Acts of harassment and intimidation continued over time.
The court concluded that the State bore responsibility for the threats, harassment, and subsequent attacks following July 2008, citing the participation or acquiescence of state agents in some of the incidents, as well as the failure to adopt protection and investigative measures.
In its judgment, the court determined that Nicaragua violated Chavarría’s rights to personal integrity, freedom of thought and expression, political rights, equality before the law, and the right to defend human rights.
The ruling also established state responsibility for violations affecting the personal integrity, judicial guarantees, judicial protection, and family protection rights of Chavarría and for the harm caused to the life plans of his children: Cindy Alicia Chavarría Alonso, Jeffer Joaquín Chavarría Alonso, and Jaime Antonio Chavarría Alonso.
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