In Nicaragua, natives attacked with axes and guns, 12 killed

In the ‘Bosawas Nature Reserve’ on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, some people once again attacked the natives. At least 12 people from the Miskito and Mayangana communities were killed in this attack. Despite being a protected area, illegal mining and felling of trees are being done in the reserve. Activists have already informed about several attacks on the natives here.

Environmentalist Amaru Ruiz blamed the attack on outsiders who had taken over the lands of the natives. Ruiz said, it was a massacre. Locals have reported the death of nine people from the Miskito community and three from Mayangana. The Center for Leger Assistance to Indigenous Peoples said in a statement that the natives were attacked with axes and guns. They hung their bodies from the tree. However, the Nicaraguan government has not confirmed the death of these people.

A local resident told a radio station that neither the army nor the police took any timely action. Despite asking the army, it has not yet commented on it. Indigenous activists say President Daniel Ortega’s government has not done enough to address the problems of those living on the forested coast. However, Ortega’s administration denied the allegation. Human rights lawyer Maria Luisa Acosta said this was the fourth attack on natives in the Bosavas area this year.

The Center for Justice and Human Rights said that since January at least 49 natives have been killed by settlers and many were forced to flee. Activists say that the settlers from outside are ex-servicemen, who are involved in the illegal business of timber and illegal harvesting. In March, groups of indigenous people complained to the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights about land grabs and killings. These killings have affected the Miskito and Mayangana communities. The InterAmerican Commission is part of the Organization of American States.