Nicaragua: PEN International condemns the confiscation of Gioconda Belli's property and the ongoing harassment against her

20 September: PEN International is concerned by recent reports indicating that, on 12 September 2023, the Nicaraguan Police and members of the Attorney General's Office (PGR) confiscated the home of writer and PEN Nicaragua President Gioconda Belli. This follows the stripping of her Nicaraguan nationality, along with other activists, writers, journalists and citizens critical of the government of Daniel Ortega. PEN International condemns the confiscation, and the ongoing harassment of Belli.

"The attack on Gioconda Belli is yet another attack on the freedoms and rights of all Nicaraguan writers and citizens. PEN International supports Belli and all those unjustly forced into exile, imprisoned, or silenced for simply criticizing the Nicaraguan government, and stand firm in its mission to make visible and denounce all attacks on free expression, in Nicaragua, and elsewhere,” said Burhan Sonmez, President of PEN International.

In addition to Belli's property, the home of Camilo Castro Belli, a journalist, documentary filmmaker and son of the writer, has also been confiscated. Castro lives in exile in Costa Rica with his wife, documentary filmmaker Leonor Zuñiga.

Gioconda Belli was forced into exile in 2022, under threat of imprisonment and persecution. In February 2023, she was declared traitor and stripped of her nationality, assets, pension and all rights as Nicaraguan citizen, alongside other writers and critical voices, including novelist Sergio Ramírez. Authorities assured that the accused were found guilty of "spreading false news" and "conspiracy to undermine national integrity", in addition to declaring them "fugitives".

The Nicaraguan authorities have also initiated a widespread closure of universities, resulting in the shutdown of 27 academic institutions and the seizure of their facilities. Additionally, they have closed down at least 3,000 NGOs, using specially created legislation. This includes the PEN Nicaragua Centre, whose members were forced to leave the country due to threats of imprisonment against themselves or their families.

The escalating restrictions on freedom of expression in Nicaragua have forced many journalists and media workers in the country into exile, in order to safeguard their physical, professional and emotional well-being. In 2022 alone, at least 250,000 people , including human rights defenders, social leaders, journalists and other media workers, were forcibly displaced.

In February, more than 222 political prisoners, including imprisoned writers, journalists, political leaders, priests, students, activists, and other dissidents, were deported by the Ortega government on a flight to the United States, and permanently stripped of their nationality and other rights.

PEN International calls on the international community and on governments within the Latin America and Caribbean region to strongly condemn the systematic human rights violations in Nicaragua, and take all necessary measures to secure the release of Nicaraguan prisoners of conscience, and all those journalist and writers who are persecuted, harassed, forced into silence or into exile in order to protect their lives.

PEN International also calls on the United Nations Human Rights Council to address this issue in its resolutions on Nicaragua, and to investigate and document these grave violations of human rights and international law.

PEN International affirms its work for freedom of expression in Nicaragua through its international network of members in over 100 countries.

Note to editors:

For more information, please contact Alicia Quiñones, Head of The Americas Region, at PEN International, email: alicia.quinones@pen-international.org or Sabrina Tucci, Communications and Campaigns Manager: sabrina.tucci@pen-international.org

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