16 de April 2025
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The Nicaraguan diaspora in various parts of the world is preparing to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the April 2018 Rebellion with a series of activities to honor the victims of repression and demand “justice, freedom, and democracy.”
“The commemoration serves so that we do not forget that we still do not have justice. What the people of Nicaragua need is to obtain justice and guarantee that there is no impunity for any of the perpetrators of the crimes that were committed in 2018,” said Nicaraguan activist, Edgard Blanco.
April 18, 2025 marks the seventh anniversary of the civic insurrection against the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, which broke out in 2018. The protests left at least 355 dead, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
Nicaraguans in Costa Rica, the United States and Europe have scheduled several activities that will last until the last week of April. Activities include masses, lectures, public events and cultural fairs.
April anniversary activities in Costa Rica
The Nicaraguan community in Costa Rica will join the commemoration with public events to reiterate their demand for freedom, justice and democracy in Nicaragua. These are some of the confirmed events:
- Friday, April 18, at 8:00 a.m., in San José.
Concentration in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral of San José, to participate in the traditional Stations of the Cross, under the slogan: “The Calvary of Christ and his example, inspires us”. The walk seeks to make visible the repression suffered by thousands of Nicaraguans and demand religious freedom, justice for the victims and strength to continue the civic struggle.
- Sunday, April 27, at 9:00 a.m., in Vázquez de Coronado.
In the parish of San Isidro Labrador, starting at 9:00 a.m., Nicaraguans will be able to participate in a fair and verbena. Then, at 12:00 noon, there will be a special mass dedicated to the freedom of Nicaragua, in memory of the murdered, political prisoners, and in solidarity with the exiled and exiled. During the ceremony, the traditional peasant mass will be sung, interpreted by singer-songwriter Luis Enrique Mejía.
- Tuesday, April 29, at 5:00 p.m.
A colloquium entitled “Políticos y sociedad civil en estallidos sociales: Abril 2018 en Nicaragua” (Politicians and civil society in social outbursts: April 2018 in Nicaragua) will be held in Costa Rica. The event, of a private nature, will be broadcast live through social networks starting at 5:00 p.m., Nicaragua time. The activity will bring together voices from the political and civil society spheres to reflect on the impact and lessons of the April 2018 civic uprising.
These activities are in addition to the multiple commemoration events that every April recall the social outburst of 2018. From exile, the community continues to insist on keeping the collective memory alive and denouncing human rights violations.
Calls in the United States
In the United States, the commemoration will take place in different cities.
- Saturday, April 19, at 3:00 p.m., in New York
Nicaraguan exiles will gather at the Imagine Mosaic in Central Park -known as the John Lennon Memorial- to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the April Rebellion. The activity, which will take place from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., has been organized by the NY Autoconvocados. During the event, attendees will wear blue and white, shout slogans, carry banners, demand justice and remember the victims of the dictatorship.
“The victims, the political prisoners, the exiles, we deserve justice. We deserve that all the people who have been involved in committing crimes against humanity pay for their crimes,” said the Nicaraguan activist and exile known as Raquel, who attends the event every year.
- Sunday, April 20, at 11:00 a.m. in Iowa
A memorial Mass will also be held at 11:00 a.m. on April 20 at Queen of Peace Parish, located at 320 Mulberry Street in Waterloo City, Iowa. The liturgical act seeks to pay tribute to those who lost their lives during the protests.
- Sunday, April 20, at 1:00 p.m. in Miami
The Nicaraguan diaspora in Miami is preparing to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the April 2018 civic uprising at St. Agatha’s Church. The event seeks to pay tribute to the victims of repression and renew the commitment of exiles to the struggle for a “free and democratic” Nicaragua.
The organizers assure that the resistance of the Nicaraguan people is still alive and that “April will not be forgotten”, while calling on the community to maintain an active memory and to continue denouncing human rights violations under the Ortega dictatorship.
- Wednesday, April 24, at 5:00 p.m. in Florida
Nicaraguans living in Florida are also summoned at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24 for a Eucharist in memory of the victims at St. Barbara Parish, located at 6801 W 30th Ave, Hialeah, Florida. The prayer space will be dedicated to honor and remember those who have passed away.
- Friday, April 26, at 1:00 p.m., in Indianapolis
Under the slogan “Abril No Se Olvida”, on April 26 Nicaraguans will hold a public and community event that seeks to keep alive the memory of the victims and strengthen the bonds of unity and resistance in exile. The activity will take place at 1:00 p.m. at STAR Events, located at 2917 Kentucky Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46221.
The call is aimed at the entire Nicaraguan and solidarity community, with the objective of sharing testimonies, reaffirming the commitment to justice and promoting historical memory as a tool of struggle.
This event in Indianapolis joins a series of commemorations taking place in different cities around the world during April, an emblematic month for the Nicaraguan resistance, and reflects the efforts of the diaspora to continue denouncing repression and keeping alive the hope for a Nicaragua in freedom.
Commemoration of the April Rebellion in Europe
In Europe, memory and resistance activities will also have their place.
- Monday, April 21, at 12:00 noon in the Netherlands
On April 21, in The Hague, a commemorative event including a demonstration and a meeting between Nicaraguans to demand “justice and freedom” will take place at the place it cites at Bethel Thomas Schwenckestraat 28/30, 2563 BZ, Den Haag starting at 12:00 p.m.
- Sunday, April 27, at 5:30 p.m., in Germany
St. Elisabeth Church, Hamburg, will host a commemorative mass on April 27 followed by a cultural fair featuring music, dances and typical Nicaraguan cuisine, in an effort to keep culture and a sense of community alive far from the country. The event will be held starting at 5:30 p.m.
“All this symbolizes the way to keep alive the memory of the people who fought and continue to fight to have a country with freedoms. We want to tell the world that we will not forget, that Nicaragua as such does not forget,” Blandón said.
