The Nicaraguan government announced on Sunday the death in custody of Brooklyn Rivera . The 73-year-old iconic leader of the Miskito ethnic group and former congressman died after a sudden decline in his health. Arrested in September 2023, he was considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.

The official version from the authorities

According to the statement from the Ministry of Health published by official media, the death occurred despite "intense efforts" by the medical team.

1. Proposed cause: Major physical and neurological deterioration, presented as the consequence of a bacterium linked to Covid-19.
2. Hospitalization: The government claims he had been hospitalized on a ventilator since March 7 for respiratory failure. Photos of him, visibly very weak, had been released shortly before his death to demonstrate that he was receiving care.

The family's accusations and the anger of relatives

The version of events presented by Daniel Ortega's regime is strongly contested by the deceased's family. His daughter, Tininiska Rivera , currently in exile, rejects the claim that her father spent his final moments surrounded by his loved ones.

“No people should have to bid farewell to their leaders under the conditions under which we are bidding farewell to Brooklyn today.” — Moskitia Indigenous Youth Association

Tininiska Rivera holds the government directly responsible for her father's physical decline and is now demanding the return of the body so that she can celebrate a funeral according to traditional Miskito traditions.

An exile, a clandestine return, and a "forced disappearance"

Brooklyn Rivera led the Yatama party ("Sons of Mother Earth United"), dedicated to defending the indigenous communities of the Caribbean coast. His outright opposition to the regime sealed his fate.

1. April 2023: At a UN forum in New York, he denounced the plight of indigenous populations in Nicaragua. The government then banned him from returning to the country.
2. September 2023: Having entered the country clandestinely out of "love for his land," he is arrested by law enforcement.
3. November 2024: The regime tacitly admitted before the UN that it had lifted his parliamentary immunity in order to prosecute him for "treason." However, the specific accusations were never made public.

Faced with the absolute secrecy surrounding his detention, UN experts had classified his case among the 112 enforced disappearances recorded in the country and were still demanding, shortly before his death, "proof of life".

International outrage

The announcement of his death sparked strong reactions internationally. The Organization of American States (OAS), through its Secretary General Albert Ramdin, expressed its "deep concern" and called for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation , as well as the release of all Nicaraguan political prisoners.

The US State Department also reiterated its accusations against the "Murillo-Ortega dictatorship," denouncing arbitrary detentions in inhumane conditions and deprivation of adequate medical care. Since the crackdown on the 2018 protests (which left nearly 300 dead), the presidential couple has maintained an authoritarian and ruthless control over all forms of opposition.