Gov’t shows outrage over Brazilian student killed in Nicaragua
In a note released today (Jul. 24), the Brazilian government expressed outrage and demanded Nicaraguan authorities to spare no efforts in identifying and punishing those accountable for the killing of Brazilian student Raynéia Gabrielle Lima, murdered on Monday (Jul. 23).
The government also condemned the “strengthening of repression, the disproportionate and lethal use of force, and the engagement of paramilitary groups in coordinated operations by security teams,” and rebuked the persecution of demonstrators, students, and human rights advocates.
The medical student was killed, said American University (UAM) President Ernesto Medina, after being shot in her chest by a “paramilitary agent” in the south of Managua, the country’s capital. “The Brazilian woman was hit by shots under circumstances which [the Brazilian government] is working to have clarified along with the Nicaraguan government,” a note from the Foreign Ministry reads, before it sends its condolences to the student’s family members.
Crisis
The killing of the Brazilian student took place hours after Medina participated in a forum where he said the economic growth and the security of Nicaragua before the protests against Ortega broke out in April “was part o a hoax,” as “there [had] never been a plan to end poverty and injustice.”
In an interview with a local TV channel, Medina added that the paramilitary forces “feel as though they have been given carte blanche. No one is telling them anything, no one is doing anything. They go around doing raids.”
Nicaragua is facing a social and political crisis, with rallies gathering more and more momentum since April, against President Daniel Ortega. He has been in power for 11 years amid accusations of misconduct and corruption. Efforts to repress popular demonstrations have left 277 to 351 dead, according to figures from local and international humanitarian organizations.