Ambush against son of human rights defender Francisca Ramírez

On 23 April 2017, Maynor López, the son of the woman human rights defender Francisca Ramírez, was ambushed while he was on his way from La Fonseca to San Isidro, in Nicaragua.
 
Francisca Ramírez is the Coordinator of the Consejo por la Defensa de la Tierra, Lago y Soberanía (Council for the Defence of the Land, the Lake and Sovereignty), a civil society movement that opposes the construction of an inter-oceanic canal financed by the Hong Kong based HKND Group. The mega-project would displace thousands of small farmers and indigenous peoples in places like Nueva Guinea and the Southern Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS), without respecting their right to free, prior and informed consent. The main goal of the Council is to repeal Law 840, which grants a one hundred year concession to HKND Group for the land over which the route of the canal will be built. Francisca Ramírez, based in La Fonseca, Nueva Guinea, has been intimidated, arbitrarily detained and her family members have been violently attacked in retaliation to her activism.

On 23 April 2017, around 4 pm., Maynor López, Francisca Ramírez’s son, was ambushed while he drove his motorcycle from La Fonseca to San Isidro. Along the route, a trap had been laid for the defender’s son whereby barbed wire was strung between two poles on opposite sides of the road. As a result of riding into the barbed wire, Maynor Lopez was thrown from his motorcycle and injured. Following the incident, Francisca Lopez called the police to report the ambush, but they failed to show up at the site to investigate the report.

The incident took place one day after the police prevented a march from taking place against the inter-oceanic canal in Juigalpa, Chontales. In a interview with Radio Corporación (Radio Corporation), Francisca Ramírez stated that the attack was directly linked to her work against Law 840. It is not the first time that the human rights defender’s family has been targeted. On 12 October 2016, the daughter of Francisca Ramírez, Gleydin López, was the victim of an attempted kidnap.

On 1 December 2016, Front Line Defenders reported on the seizure of two trucks belonging to Francisca Ramírez by the National Police. The vehicles were ostensibly seized in retaliation for her leadership of a major mobilisation of small farmers and indigenous peoples opposing the construction of the inter-oceanic canal.
 
Francisca Ramírez is one of the finalists of the 2017 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk. Given annually, the award honours the work of human rights defenders who - at great personal risk - courageously make an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights of their communities.

In Nicaragua, human rights defenders have been subject to death threats and violent attacks, including killings, that often go unpunished. Not only does the government fail to offer protection, but in many cases governmental officers are involved in the violations themselves. Front Line Defenders has previously raised its concern regarding cases of harassment, threats, intimidation and illegal seizure of property in the cases of Vilma Nuñez de Escorcia and Lottie Cunningham Wren.
 
Front Line Defenders express its concern on the ambush set up against Maynor López, son of Francisca Ramírez, which appears to be in retaliation of her legitimate work in the defence of human rights.
 
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Nicaragua to:

1. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the ambush carried out against Maynor López, Francisca Ramírez’s son, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;

2. Take all necessary measures, in consultation with the defenders, to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Francisca Ramírez and her family members;

3. Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in Nicaragua are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all undue restrictions.