IOE condemns the arbitrary detention of the President and Vice-President of the Nicaraguan employers by the government

COSEP President Michael Healy and Vice-President Alvaro Vargas Duarte were detained yesterday by Nicaraguan authorities.

The International Organisation of Employers (IOE), the largest global network of business organisations, was informed today, and expresses its concern, about the arbitrary deprivation of liberty yesterday of the President of the Consejo Superior de la Empresa Privada (COSEP), Mr. Michael Healy and the Vice-President of COSEP, Mr. Alvaro Vargas Duarte.

We repudiate in the strongest terms these arbitrary actions by the Nicaraguan authorities and call for the immediate release of our colleagues. COSEP is the most representative employers' organisation in Nicaragua and a member of IOE.

The detention of business leaders due to their efforts to protect and promote free and independent employers in Nicaragua constitutes a serious violation of public freedoms in general and the freedom of association in particular.

The actions of the Nicaraguan authorities are also clearly contrary to the American Declaration and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization Fundamental Convention 87 on freedom of association, and other international and regional instruments.