Brooklyn Rivera's daughter asks Nicaragua to release his body for farewell

Tininiska Rivera, the daughter of the late Miskito indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera, has formally requested Nicaraguan authorities to allow her family to receive her father's body. She wishes to bid him farewell according to the traditions of his people.

"My father was deprived of his freedom; let us not allow his family to also be deprived of the right to say goodbye according to his will, his beliefs, and his legacy," Tininiska stated from exile in a public letter. She conveyed her "deep sorrow and concern" regarding the circumstances surrounding her father's death. For months, her family had no direct information about his condition and was unable to visit or communicate with him.

Earlier, Tininiska had held the co-presidents of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, responsible for her father's critical health condition. She rejected the official report, deeming it inaccurate regarding his health status and detention conditions. Rivera asserted that her father was in good health when arrested and capable of walking independently.

“

My father was deprived of his freedom; let us not allow his family to also be deprived of the right to say goodbye according to his will, his beliefs, and his legacy.

She refuted official accounts suggesting family members were present during his final moments, emphasizing that "no member of his family was with him." Tininiska stressed that decisions concerning his remains should not be made without her family's knowledge or participation. She also appealed for support from the international community, human rights organizations, churches, indigenous peoples, and the diplomatic corps to guarantee her safe entry into Nicaragua and her full participation in the funeral ceremonies.

"As a daughter, I want to fulfill the promise I made to him in life: to give him the last goodbye he deserves and allow him to rest with his people," she expressed. Rivera recalled her father's lifelong dedication to defending the collective rights of Nicaragua's indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, stating his legacy "transcends generations" as a symbol of resistance, dignity, and struggle for indigenous peoples in Nicaragua and worldwide.

Brooklyn Rivera Bryan, founder of the indigenous party Yatama, had been admitted to intensive care on March 7th due to respiratory complications, according to authorities. The Nicaraguan government announced his death on Sunday, citing complications from a "bacterial infection."

“

As a daughter, I want to fulfill the promise I made to him in life: to give him the last goodbye he deserves and allow him to rest with his people.