Matagalpa Women’s Collective

Activity
Women’s human rights

Attacks experienced
Police intimidation and harassment, infringement of the right to protest, hate speech, defamation, and criminalization

THE FACTS – On Wednesday afternoon October 23, feminists in Matagalpa initiated an artistic action outside the offices of Radio Vos and the Matagalpa Women’s Collective to denounce more than 50 femicides perpetrated this year; nevertheless, they were intimidated and harassed by an inordinately large police contingent that thwarted and violated their legitimate right to protest.

Morever, hate messages were circulated in social networks that accused Collective members of being “coup perpetrators” and “terrorists” conspiring against the government by means of their artístic action. In the current context of repression and para-police violence in the country, such a smear tactic represents an explicit call to aggression.

We of IM-Defensoras condemn these intolerable actions. While geared towards projecting a sense of normalcy in Nicaragua, they instead reveal that the political and human rights crisis initiated in April of 2018 still exists, that social protest in the country continues to be restricted, and that the persecution and harassment of feminist movements and organizations are, in fact, a priority objective of repressive, authoritarian State policies.