In 2024 bitcoin Policy SummitNicaraguan pro-democracy activist Félix Maradiaga shared his thoughts on the serious challenges facing his country, which is under the autocratic government of Daniel Ortega.
According to Maradiaga, the Nicaraguan people are losing their freedoms at an alarming rate.
“According to the World Freedom Report“We have the very unfortunate label of being the country that has lost the most freedoms in the last year,” Maradiaga told bitcoin Magazine.
“Imagine a country where you could go to prison for raising the national flag, for tweeting, for receiving a remittance from an international donor or for expressing your opinions on social media,” he added.
“That is the situation in Nicaragua.”
Maradiaga pointed out that there are currently 130 people arbitrarily detained for political reasons and that, in the last three years, more than 1,700 have been imprisoned in inhumane conditions. He was one of those 1,700.
The oppressive environment has forced almost 12% of the population into exile, according to Maradiaga.
Using bitcoin to combat financial repression
Maradiaga is now working to rebuild the capacity of the democratic opposition in Nicaragua from the outside, and his advocacy includes the use of bitcoin to circumvent the financial repression employed by the Ortega regime.
After thanking his wife, Berta Valle, as well as Human Rights Foundation Chief Strategy Officer Alex Gladstein, for introducing him to bitcoin, Maradiaga told an example of how technology has helped pro-democracy freedom fighters on the front lines in Nicaragua.
In 2018, when its team of human rights defenders compiled reports on the situation in Nicaragua, those involved in the process were compensated through traditional financial rails.
The Ortega regime was able to access these financial records with the help of the European Union, the United Nations and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which led to the persecution of those who were involved with the team's efforts. of Maradiaga.
“We learned very early that we couldn't use the traditional banking system because financial repression for political control is actually one of the areas where dictators have learned a lot. They have become very sophisticated,” he explained.
To counter this, Maradiaga and his colleagues turned to bitcoin.
“bitcoin is the only bulletproof tool against the financial repression of dictators,” Maradiaga stated.
Misuse of anti-money laundering regulation
Reflecting on global politics, Maradiaga discussed the broader implications of bitcoin legislation and regulation.
He cited the Magnitsky justice campaignwhich uses sanctions against oppressive regimes, noting that these regimes retaliate by freezing the bank accounts of freedom fighters, often under the guise of international money laundering regulations backed by institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
He went on to explain that anti-money laundering regulations are often used to target the wrong parties.
“We have seen 3,400 NGOs close using this particular law,” Maradiaga explained.
He argued that the mechanisms developed after World War II are obsolete and that adopting new technologies like bitcoin is essential.
Policymakers Need to Educate themselves on bitcoin
Maradiaga urged policymakers around the world to educate themselves about bitcoin.
“Policymakers around the world who are suspicious of bitcoin need to acknowledge the fact that it is completely understandable to have questions when they don't understand any technology,” he shared. “Once you are informed about this technology, you can really see that it is a tool that I think is much more viable to address these challenges than the traditional monetary (system).”
The global fight against dictators
Maradiaga also highlighted that Nicaragua's struggle is part of a larger issue.
“Dictators are collaborating with each other,” he said.
“They are sharing technology. “They are supporting themselves with weapons and mechanisms of repression,” she added.
“Those of us who believe in freedom, human dignity, human rights and free and just societies must collaborate with each other.”
Maradiaga shared that people can get involved with their efforts in World Freedom Congress.
