Table of Contents
- The Disappearances: What We Know
- Scale of the Crisis: Numbers and Reports
- Government Tactics: A New Wave of Fear
- International Outcry: UN and Human Rights Groups React
- Families in Limbo: The Human Cost
- Conclusion: A Nation in Silence
The Disappearances: What We Know
In a chilling escalation of political repression, Nicaragua has adopted a terrifying new tactic: enforced disappearance. Individuals perceived as opponents of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo are being taken by authorities and then vanishing without a trace .
The case of José Alejandro Hurtado, a 57-year-old computer engineer and activist, exemplifies this disturbing trend. Police arrived at his home in January 2025, claiming he needed to report to a station about a stolen rental car. He was never seen again by his family [[original]].
Hurtado is not alone. Human rights groups have documented that nearly three dozen people have been subjected to enforced disappearances by Nicaraguan authorities within the past two years [[original]]. These actions involve detaining individuals while refusing to acknowledge their arrest or reveal their location—a practice condemned under international law.
Scale of the Crisis: Numbers and Reports
The scope of this human rights crisis is alarming. As of late 2025, it is reported that the Nicaraguan dictatorship is holding 33 political prisoners in forced disappearance, completely cut off from their families and legal representation .
Furthermore, out of the 73 officially documented political prisoners, nearly half appear in no public court records, suggesting a deliberate effort to operate outside any transparent judicial process [[original]]. At least 75 people remain imprisoned for political reasons as of June 2025, with reports of torture also emerging .
A United Nations report released in September 2024 highlighted that the human rights situation in Nicaragua had “seriously deteriorated,” citing arbitrary arrests and mistreatment of detainees . The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has specifically pointed to the persecution of those perceived as government opponents .
Key Statistics on Nicaragua’s Political Repression (2025)
| Metric | Number/Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Forced Disappearances | 33 political prisoners disappeared | [28] |
| Political Prisoners (Total) | At least 75 | [25] |
| Documented Cases of Torture | At least 16 cases in 12 months | [25] |
| Deprived of Nationality | 452 persons (Feb 2023 – Sep 2024) | [26] |
Government Tactics: A New Wave of Fear
This strategy of silent arrests marks a significant shift in the Ortega-Murillo regime’s approach to silencing dissent. Since the massive anti-government protests of 2018, the government has systematically dismantled opposition, arresting protesters, forcing others into exile, and eliminating democratic institutions .
By refusing to acknowledge detentions, the government creates an atmosphere of intense fear and uncertainty. Families are left searching from prison to prison and police station to police station, denied even basic information about their loved ones [[original]]. This lack of transparency prevents access to legal counsel and due process, effectively placing detainees outside the protection of the law.
International Outcry: UN and Human Rights Groups React
The international community has repeatedly condemned these actions. UN human rights experts have called on Nicaraguan authorities to release those arbitrarily detained and to end the use of enforced disappearance as a tool of political repression .
In May 2025, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) sent a questionnaire to the Nicaraguan government regarding human rights abuses but received no response . Austria and other nations have urged the government to cease arbitrary detentions and free all political prisoners .
Investigative bodies appointed by the UN Human Rights Council continue to document grave abuses, insisting that the Nicaraguan state must be held accountable for its actions .
Families in Limbo: The Human Cost
Beyond the statistics are real people and shattered families. The psychological toll on relatives of the disappeared is immense. Without confirmation of life or death, they live in perpetual anguish, clinging to hope while facing bureaucratic silence.
As one report noted, both had fallen victim to recent waves of arrests and were in a state of forced disappearance—leaving families desperate for answers . The regime’s refusal to provide information compounds the trauma, turning private grief into a public act of defiance against state terror.
Conclusion: A Nation in Silence
Nicaragua’s use of enforced disappearance represents a dark chapter in its ongoing political crisis. What began with violent crackdowns has evolved into a more insidious form of control—one built on silence, denial, and fear.
With 33 political prisoners vanished and no accountability from the government, the world must amplify the voices of the disappeared and their families. Only sustained international pressure can break the silence and demand justice for those who have been erased by the state.
