Nicaraguan Indigenous Leader Brooklyn Rivera Dies in State Custody

Brooklyn Rivera Bryan, a prominent Miskito indigenous leader and former Nicaraguan lawmaker, died on May 31 in Managua while under state custody at a hospital. The 73-year-old, who founded the indigenous party Yatama, had been hospitalized since March 7 in intensive care due to respiratory complications, according to the Ministry of Health.

The Nicaraguan government, led by President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, stated that despite "enormous and intense efforts" to save him, Rivera Bryan's health deteriorated due to complications from a "bacteria generated by COVID-19." The statement noted his close family members were present during his hospitalization.

However, days before his death was confirmed, Rivera Bryan's daughter, Tininiska Rivera, publicly blamed the Ortega-Murillo government for her father's critical health status. She stated in an open letter from exile that she "directly hold the Sandinista regime responsible... for the deterioration and damage to the life, health, and physical and psychological integrity of my father." She also rejected the official account of his health and detention conditions, asserting he was in "optimal health" when arrested in September 2023.

Rivera's daughter further denounced the government-released images as evidence of "undignified, inhuman, and degrading" conditions during his imprisonment. She called for his immediate release, access for family, lawyers, and independent doctors, and transfer abroad for specialized medical care. Rivera Bryan was a key figure in Nicaragua's Caribbean Coast, advocating for Miskito territorial and political rights for decades. His arrest occurred before the March 2024 regional elections, while he was still a legislator, drawing condemnation from human rights organizations and opposition sectors.