Here in Nicaragua: “We Solve Everything with a Bullet”

The president of the April Mothers Association (AMA), Francys Valdivia, was arbitrarily arrested on April 20th in Estelí. She was psychologically tortured and threatened by Daniel Ortega’s Police, who prevented a commemorative act for the third year of the assassination of her brother Franco Valdivia, which occurred during the massacre in 2018.

The Police in Managua used the same method against Nelson Lorio, the father of the 14-month old boy Teyler Lorio, who was killed by a shot in the head in June 2018. The Police showed him a video in which they had altered the facts of what happened that day and they had even distorted his statements.

Meanwhile, Valdivia was undressed, groped and photographed by the Police. In addition, while Valdivia was giving an interview in the special edition of “Confidencial Radio,” broadcast on Radio Corporación and Spotify, she said “right now I’m being informed that those photos are circulating. I was just told us that the pictures they took of us in prison have gone viral.”

Francys Valdivia also reported that Esteli’s Police Chief, Alejandro Ruiz, told her that “we are in times of war and anything can happen to us.” Another officer, touching his weapons, said: “We solve everything with a bullet.”

Arrested for paying homage to Franco Valdivia

Along with Francys, her mother Francisca Machado, Stephanie Martínez, Marcos Silva and Ana Rivera were also arrested while they were paying homage for Franco Valdivia at their home. The Police arrived and violently detained and loaded all the people into a pick-up truck.

These violent acts caused injuries to Valdivia and Machado, who now must wear cervical collars and slings, while they recover from the assault. Her mother, Francisca Machado, said Francys is very shaken by what happened when they were only carrying out the tribute.

Francys Valdivia Machado, presidenta de AMA (derecha), espera junto a otros familiares de asesinados, en las afueras de la Corte Suprema de Justicia. Foto: Carlos Herrera.

Valdivia recounted that they had to pay homage in her home because the church in Estelí had been taken over from early in the day by the Sandinista hordes who tried to prevent at all costs that a mass be held in honor of Franco Valdivia, who was shot in the head and dragged through the streets of Estelí.

“This is a war between the truth of the people, and the lies on the part of the rulers Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo,” said Valdivia, adding that it is also a war against corruption and nepotism.

Valdivia along with other members of the April Mothers Association were going to give a press conference on Thursday, but this was cancelled due to the persistent siege of the Police in the facilities where it would take place.

The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH) made the complaint on its social networks and denounced that the siege hindered their documentation of the attacks suffered by the members of the April Mothers Association.