Nicaragua: Indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera shown in critical condition, sparking calls for release

The daughter of Miskito indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera, Tininiska Rivera, along with the U.S. government, has demanded the "immediate and unconditional" release of Rivera. The Nicaraguan regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo recently released new images showing Rivera unconscious and being attended by doctors at the Fernando Vélez Paiz Hospital in Managua.

Rivera was arbitrarily imprisoned on September 29, 2023, and had been considered forcibly disappeared until these images surfaced. The photographs depict him in a hospital bed, reliant on mechanical ventilation via tracheotomy and intravenous feeding. Tininiska Rivera expressed "deep sorrow" over her father's critical state, holding the dictatorship responsible for his deteriorating health.

"If anything happens to my father, if his life ends or his condition worsens, the world must know it was not an accident or a natural fate. It was the result of a system of repression exercised in a prolonged and daily manner," Tininiska Rivera stated in a public letter. She emphasized that his treatment constitutes more than a political case, describing it as a form of violence prohibited by international law, and that the prolonged forced disappearance and intentional suffering under state custody amount to crimes against humanity.

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) also called for Rivera's "unconditional release" on X, stating, "This repression, violence, and inhumanity is abominable; we reiterate our call for the unconditional release of him and all political prisoners now." The Nicaraguan regime revealed Rivera's grave health condition on May 29, 2026. The 73-year-old former indigenous deputy has been hospitalized since March 7 in the intensive care unit due to worsening respiratory conditions.

According to WOLA, the Nicaraguan government's statement, issued through state-controlled media, is an "attempt to hide its role in the cruel treatment and current condition" of the former deputy.