Brazil says ready to host Nicaraguans stripped of citizenship

Brazil's leftist government, which has been reluctant to criticise Nicaragua's  President Daniel Ortega, has for the first time expressed concern over the persecution of opponents in his country, less than a week after UN experts accused Nicaragua of committing serious and systematic violations which amount to "crimes against humanity."

"The Brazilian government follows events in Nicaragua with utmost attention and is concerned with the reports of serious human rights violations and restrictions on democratic space in that country, in particular summary executions, arbitrary detentions and torture of political dissidents," said Brazil's Ambassador to the United Nations, Tovar da Silva Nunes at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday. 

Da Silva Nunes announced that Brazil will welcome hundreds of Nicaraguans who have been stripped of their nationality by President Ortega's government.

"The Brazilian government receives with extreme concern the decision of Nicaraguan authorities to determine the loss of nationality of more than 300 Nicaraguan citizens," da Silva Nunes said.

He also called for constructive dialogue between different sectors of Nicaraguan society.

"Brazil stands ready to explore ways in which this situation can be constructively addressed in dialogue with the government of Nicaragua and all relevant actors," he said.

READ MORE: Nicaragua govt likely committed crimes against humanity: UN investigators

UN investigators' report

Last week, Brazil did not sign a joint declaration by 54 countries denouncing the situation in Nicaragua while a UN-appointed team of human rights experts alleged Nicaragua's government committed serious and systematic violations which amount to crimes against humanity in a report.

The UN three-person body said on Thursday the government committed, and continues to commit, acts of torture, extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detention since 2018, naming President Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, who is his wife, for "putting into practice these crimes".

The experts said they had documented more than 100 cases of executions, alongside hundreds of cases of torture and arbitrary detention, and thousands of cases of political persecution as the report pushed for international sanctions against the government.

Human rights groups and the political opposition have long accused Ortega's government of severely repressing civic freedoms and his opponents to win elections and keep his grip on the country — charges his government denies. 

Ortega, now aged 77, first came to power as a leader of the left-wing Sandinista guerrilla movement that toppled the Somoza dictatorship in a 1970s revolution.

He was in and out of office over the years but took power again in 2007 and has ruled since.

READ MORE: UN begins probe into alleged rights violations in Nicaragua