Brooklyn Rivera, a 73-year-old Nicaraguan Indigenous leader and former lawmaker, died in state custody after being detained in September 2023 amid a government crackdown on political dissent.

Human rights groups condemned the treatment Rivera received, noting his deteriorated condition with intubation and emaciation, and criticizing the initial lack of proof of life and restricted family access.

Advocates and U.N. experts highlighted Rivera’s case as part of broader patterns of arbitrary detention and deaths of Indigenous prisoners in Nicaragua since 2018.

Rivera was a prominent opponent of the first Sandinista government and led the Yatama party, which has shifted its stance toward President Daniel Ortega and recently faced a ban from participating in elections.

The case underscores concerns about Ortega’s government, described by critics as dictatorial with repression of dissent, media control, and power consolidation by Ortega and Rosario Murillo.

Since Rivera’s arrest, Yatama has gone underground, with supporters noting repression and difficulties maintaining organized opposition.

Rivera led the Yatama party defending Indigenous rights on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast; charges against him were not publicly disclosed, though press reports suggested a possible treason case after immunity was lifted in 2024.

Parliamentary immunity was lifted in late 2024 to investigate Rivera for serious crimes, including treason, with authorities not publicly detailing the charges.

The OAS Secretary General urged an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation and called for the release of all political prisoners.

Rivera’s activism spanned decades, including founding the Yatama organization and advocating for land rights and autonomy for Indigenous communities in Nicaragua’s northeast coast.

He dedicated his life to advancing Indigenous rights, leading efforts to secure autonomy for the Miskito and other communities amid resource-rich, strategically significant regions.

Rivera attended a UN Indigenous forum in Geneva and later went into hiding after being banned from returning to Nicaragua by Ortega and Murillo; he reportedly lived clandestinely until his arrest.