On February 27, Nicaragua announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council in response to a UN report addressing human rights violations by President Daniel Ortega's government.
Vice President and first lady, Rosario Murillo, described the decision as "sovereign and irrevocable," stating that Nicaragua would cease all involvement in Human Rights Council activities and its "satellite mechanisms."
The UN report, issued the day prior, accuses Ortega and Murillo, who also serves as co-president, of having turned Nicaragua into a country "where no independent institutions remain."
UN experts recommended legal action against Nicaragua, citing human rights abuses that align with established crimes against humanity patterns.
Despite past dismissals by Ortega's government of UN and Organization of American States reports as part of an international smear campaign, the UN report was labeled as containing "falsehoods" and "slander" by Murillo.
In 2018, Nicaragua faced widespread anti-government protests triggered by Ortega's suppression of dissent, resulting in over 350 fatalities and drawing global attention to human rights violations.
The UN report also implicated the Nicaraguan army in the violent crackdown, contradicting earlier denials.