# Political repression and forced disappearances in Nicaragua

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/political-repression-and-forced-disappearances-in-nicaragua
> Updated: 2026-08-29T10:00:00.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

Human rights organizations have reported a pattern of forced disappearances and repression targeting political opponents in Nicaragua.

Initial reports highlighted the disappearance of José Danilo Jirón Gudiel, an opponent of the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) who advocated for voting rights. According to the Movimiento Campesino de Nicaragua, Jirón Gudiel was detained by police at the Managua airport upon his return from exile. Family members reported being unable to locate him or receive information regarding his legal status at facilities such as the ‘El Chipote’ judicial assistance headquarters.

Subsequent reports from the Colectivo de Derechos Humanos para la Memoria Histórica de Nicaragua indicate that at least 23 opponents or critics of the government led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo remain in a state of forced disappearance. The Mechanism for the Recognition of Political Prisoners in Nicaragua has recorded at least 60 political prisoners. Other instances of repression include the incommunicado detention of Catholic Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata, which prompted the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to request emergency action to protect him and his associates.

## Claims

- At least 23 opponents or critics of the Nicaraguan government are currently in a state of forced disappearance. (disputed by 2 sources)
- The Nicaraguan government uses forced disappearance as a mechanism for persecution and control against perceived opponents. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- State repression since April 2018 has resulted in at least 355 Nicaraguans being killed by police, soldiers, or para-state groups. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Ricardo José Mendoza Irigoyen, 64, was arbitrarily detained on January 23 and remains missing. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reported that Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata was held incommunicado. (single source)
- The IACHR requested emergency protection for Bishop Mata and four associates from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-29: Nicaragua: Human rights groups report 23 opponents in forced disappearance

Human rights groups report that at least 23 opponents in Nicaragua are victims of forced disappearance, amid broader reports of state repression and the incommunicado detention of religious figures like Bishop-

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nicaragua-human-rights-groups-report-23-opponents-in-forced-disappearance

### 2026-08-14: Nicaraguan peasant movement reports disappearance of opposition leader

The Movimiento Campesino de Nicaragua reports that José Danilo Jirón Gudiel, an opposition leader, was forcibly disappeared by police upon his return to Nicaragua from the United States on March 9, 2025.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nicaraguan-peasant-movement-reports-disappearance-of-opposition-leader

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Cite as: Political repression and forced disappearances in Nicaragua. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/political-repression-and-forced-disappearances-in-nicaragua