Daniel Ortega, a leader of the Marxist Sandinistas who overthrew the authoritarian regime of Gen. Anastasio Somoza Debayle, ruled Nicaragua from the 1979 Sandinista takeover until his loss in the 1990 presidential election. He returned to power in 2007.

“The human rights situation in Nicaragua has continued to decline over the past three months, with detainees being held in appalling conditions, civic space shrinking, and an unprecedented rise in people fleeing the country,” according to Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“The Nicaraguan police have also resumed harassment of Catholic priests,” her report continued. “The government has also ordered the Catholic Channel to be removed from cable television.”