Weekly Report - 11 June 2026 (WR-26-23)

The recent death in custody of Brooklyn Rivera, a 73-year-old Miskito indigenous leader, who had been detained since September 2023 on charges widely considered spurious [WR-23-41], has sparked outrage, both domestically and abroad. The authoritarian government led by co-presidents Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, has drawn mounting international condemnation since 2018 over its crackdown on dissent and dismantling of democratic institutions. However, Rivera’s death is subjecting it to renewed pressure, as the Managua government already appears increasingly isolated following the capture by the US in January of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026) and its campaign against Cuba.