Brooklyn Rivera, a 73-year-old Miskito leader and former Nicaraguan lawmaker, died in state custody after nearly three years of detention, the health ministry said. Officials attributed his physical and neurological decline to a bacterial infection linked to COVID-19 and said doctors made 'enormous and intensive' efforts to save him. Rivera, who led the Indigenous party Yatama and was considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, was detained in September 2023 on charges that have not been publicly disclosed.
Brooklyn Rivera, 73, Dies In Nicaraguan Custody After Nearly Three Years — Rights Groups, US Demand Answers
Nicaraguan Indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera, considered a political prisoner, died on May 31 due to health complications after nearly three years in detention (Handout)(Handout/El 19 DIGITAL/AFP)
Brooklyn Rivera, a 73-year-old leader of the Miskito people and former member of Nicaragua’s National Assembly, has died in state custody after nearly three years of detention, the health ministry said on Sunday.
The ministry announced Rivera's death in a statement carried on state-run media, saying his 'physical and neurological deterioration' was 'a consequence of a bacterial infection caused by the COVID-19 virus.' Officials said doctors made 'enormous and intensive' efforts to save him but were unable to reverse his decline.
Rivera was detained in September 2023 by President Daniel Ortega’s government. Authorities have not released a public charge sheet, and the official grounds for his arrest were never disclosed. Amnesty International had described him as a prisoner of conscience.
On Wednesday the government published photographs showing Rivera connected to a ventilator and visibly emaciated, and acknowledged his condition was 'critical.' Those images prompted renewed calls from the United States and human rights groups for his release and for clarity on his treatment and legal status.
Press reports indicate that in November 2024 Nicaragua informed the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that Rivera's parliamentary immunity had been lifted so he could be investigated for serious crimes, including treason. The government has not provided a public summary of any charges or released independent medical documentation to corroborate the cause of death.
Rivera served as a leader of Yatama (Children of Mother Earth United), the Indigenous party that advocates for the rights of Nicaragua's native communities. His death in custody is likely to intensify international scrutiny of Nicaragua's treatment of political and Indigenous leaders.
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