Evidence of meeting #143 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was women.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Chair  Ms. Anita Vandenbeld (Ottawa West—Nepean, Lib.)
Aura Lolita Chavez Ixcaquic  Spokesperson, Amnesty International Canada, Council of K'iche Peoples for the Defense of Life, Mother Nature, Land and Territory (CPK)
Ana Quirós Víquez  Director, Center of Information and Advisory Services in Health (CISAS)

1:45 p.m.

Director, Center of Information and Advisory Services in Health (CISAS)

Ana Quirós Víquez

[Witness spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]

First of all, this government has primarily attacked women, because women were the first to denounce that this was a dictatorship and not a socialist, robust, solid government, as had been said. There was a lot of resentment and anger against women because of this.

I want to talk about the role that Canada can play. Canada is part of the working group at the OAS. In Nicaragua, we want this group to work to apply the democratic charter of the OAS, and we want the government of Nicaragua to be sanctioned, and specifically that those who have committed crimes against humanity be sanctioned. Canada has mechanisms that can be applied for universal justice for criminals who have committed crimes against humanity. We want these people to be punished and we want there to be no more impunity when it comes to these crimes that they've committed.

We would like Canada to join the people of Nicaragua in the search for justice and in the application of specific sanctions, such as those that have been discussed, including, for example, the NICA Magnitsky Act in the United States and sanctions by the European Union, which are also targeting these criminals.

I believe that Canada joining us in this search for justice will be very important and will allow us to achieve this justice, so that in Nicaragua we don't go back to the situation we had 40 years ago.

1:45 p.m.

Ms. Anita Vandenbeld (Ottawa West—Nepean, Lib.)

The Chair

I want to thank both of you witnesses very much for not being silent and for your courage in your testimony today. I know that it's very difficult testimony, but we are hearing your voices, and it's going to be a part of our larger study. I want to thank both of you.

We are going to go in camera for just a few minutes of committee business. I will be suspending for just one minute.

Thank you for your perseverance.

[Proceedings continue in camera]