30 Ibero-American ex-presidents demand international probe into Ortega-Murillo regime over indigenous leader's death

A group of 30 former Ibero-American presidents, operating as the IDEA Group, has called for the use of universal jurisdiction to investigate the regime of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo. The former leaders accuse the government of "crimes against humanity" for its alleged responsibility in the death of indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera. In a statement released Friday, June 5, 2026, the signatories demanded an international criminal investigation into the Nicaraguan government over Rivera's death.

Rivera, the leader of the indigenous Yatama party, died after more than 790 days of arbitrary detention in an unknown location. The former presidents stated in their declaration that they "demand that the international community and the democracies of the Americas assume their collective protection obligations and exercise universal jurisdiction given the absolute impossibility that the Nicaraguan state, colluding with forced disappearances, can carry out an impartial investigation." They highlighted forced disappearance as a grave human rights violation and a tool of repression used by the Ortega regime.

The former leaders denounced the "crimes against humanity" committed by the "regime" presided over by "co-presidents" Ortega and Murillo. This pronouncement aligns with previous denunciations by organizations such as the UN and Amnesty International regarding Rivera's death. Rivera was arrested on September 29, 2023, and died on May 30, 2026, in the intensive care unit of a Managua hospital where he had been admitted on March 7 of this year due to respiratory complications.

The signatories include numerous former presidents from across Latin America and Spain, such as Mario Abdo (Paraguay), Felipe Calderón (Mexico), Iván Duque (Colombia), Mauricio Macri (Argentina), and José María Aznar (Spain). Asdrúbal Aguiar A. serves as the secretary general of IDEA. The death of the indigenous leader is one of at least six individuals who have died in state detention in Nicaragua for opposing the government. Furthermore, UN experts reported on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, that six relatives of Rivera, aged 73, were forcibly disappeared after attempting to claim his remains. Among those detained are close family members and individuals from his immediate circle, including his sister, Alda López.

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demand that the international community and the democracies of the Americas assume their collective protection obligations and exercise universal jurisdiction given the absolute impossibility that the Nicaraguan state, colluding with forced disappearances, can carry out an impartial investigation.