World
Nicaraguan Indigenous Leader Dies in Custody
Brooklyn Rivera, a Miskito indigenous leader, politician and activist, has died at age 73 after years of detention in Nicaragua, sparking outrage from human rights organizations. The government cited a bacterial infection after COVID-19, but critics attribute his death to prolonged incommunicado detention and denial of independent medical care. Rivera was a vocal opponent of the Sandinista government, fighting for indigenous land rights and autonomy, and was arrested in September 2023 after returning secretly to Nicaragua.