Violations of academic freedom are violations of human rights in Nicaragua: A plea from researchers under attack

This brief outlines the life and career-threatening challenges faced by Central American researchers in a context of state repression against academic freedom in independent institutions of higher education, human rights agencies, and research centers. Focusing on Nicaragua, a country suffering under the rule of a dictatorship guilty of countless human rights violations, this brief provides anonymized testimonies of researchers and their pleas to the international community.

The Central America Research Alliance (CARA), committed to preserving the safety of Central American researchers and the dissemination of their work, is currently assisting its members and colleagues not only to safeguard their lives and careers but also to translate and disseminate their research. Based on their input, this brief proposes a series of policy recommendations, including affording scholars protections to their freedom of expression, facilitating outlets for their research, and repudiating the persecution of academic freedom.