Geneva: Nicaragua’s government under President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo is escalating its campaign of repression by extending persecution beyond its borders, according to a damning new report by United Nations experts. The Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN) presented their findings to the U.N. Human Rights Council, describing a transnational strategy designed to silence and intimidate those who fled the country in search of safety.
The 36-page report details how the Ortega administration has systematically targeted exiled opponents through legal, financial, and technological measures. Many Nicaraguans who left the country after the violent crackdown on 2018 protests have been stripped of citizenship, denied passports, and had their property seized. Others face bans on returning to their homeland, leaving them effectively stateless. The experts argue that these acts amount to a calculated policy to extend state control into exile communities.
Beyond legal measures, the report highlights a sophisticated campaign of digital persecution. Exiles are tracked through spyware, hacking, and phone interceptions. Intelligence agencies reportedly monitor online conversations and social media activities, often using the information to intimidate individuals or retaliate against their families still living in Nicaragua. According to the experts, this web of surveillance is reinforced by undercover operatives and informants embedded within diaspora groups, creating an atmosphere of fear even outside Nicaragua’s borders.
The Ortega regime’s repression intensified after mass demonstrations erupted in 2018 over controversial reforms. Security forces responded with deadly force, leaving hundreds dead and forcing more than 100,000 people into exile. The UN report suggests that the current wave of transnational persecution is a continuation of that violent response, designed to prevent any organized opposition from regrouping abroad.
Nicaragua’s defiance of international oversight has widened in recent months. In February, the government withdrew from the U.N. Human Rights Council after repeated accusations of authoritarianism and systematic abuses. Despite growing international condemnation, the regime appears determined to consolidate its control, not only at home but also by reaching into exile communities worldwide.
The experts conclude that the Ortega government’s actions represent not isolated incidents but a coordinated state policy aimed at eliminating criticism and suppressing opposition voices, wherever they may be. The report calls for continued international monitoring and pressure, warning that without intervention, Nicaragua’s campaign of intimidation could become a blueprint for other repressive regimes seeking to control their diasporas.