Indigenous communities residing in the northeastern region of Nicaragua face an increasing threat from armed assailants who resort to violence and kidnappings in order to forcibly seize ancestral lands. These intruders are primarily driven by commercial interests such as agriculture, ranching, and timber extraction. The relentless aggression has created a sense of fear and forced residents to flee their remote communities.
According to community leaders, advocates, and a regional human rights court, indigenous communities in northeast Nicaragua are under growing pressure from armed assailants who use kidnappings and killings to push people off their land. A leader of the Mayangna people, speaking anonymously out of fear of reprisals from President Daniel Ortega’s government, described their situation as “continuous colonization” by land invaders, locally known as “colonos.” These invaders occupy their land for commercial purposes such as agriculture, ranching, and timber harvesting.
The Mayangna and Miskito communities reside in Nicaragua’s northeast region along the Caribbean Sea, primarily within the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve’s vast tropical forest. The Mayangna leader accused President Ortega’s government of protecting these settlers who forcefully settle in their territories, disrupting their way of life, which revolves around hunting, fishing, and subsistence agriculture.
Violent attacks on indigenous communities by these settlers have been reported in various territories, including the Sauni As territory where the Alal community was attacked in 2020 and Wilu in March, resulting in fatalities and the destruction of homes. These attacks are viewed as part of a larger strategy to remove indigenous communities from their land.
In response to the worsening situation, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights recently ordered the Nicaraguan government to protect the Mayangna people living in Wilu and Musawas. The court noted a worsening of violent events in 2023 and urged the government to implement security measures that would allow the displaced communities to return and protect their lives and well-being.
The government of Nicaragua, which accepted the court’s jurisdiction over human rights issues in 1991, has not yet responded to the court’s order. This is not the first time the court has held the government responsible for failing to protect indigenous communities. Indigenous leaders claim that the local police and military do not intervene when settlers attack, further exacerbating the situation.
María Luisa Acosta, a lawyer and coordinator of the Center for Legal Assistance to Indigenous Peoples, stated that the court’s action helps shed light on a tragic situation of territorial dispossession and genocide in historically marginalized indigenous territories. These territories have been historically overlooked and neglected by Nicaraguan administrations.
The ongoing struggle faced by indigenous communities in northeastern Nicaragua is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention and action to protect their rights, preserve their ancestral lands, and ensure their safety.
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