The attack at Kiwakumbai of August 2021

On Saturday, September 11th, a group of Sandinista media reporters hiked over three days into the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve to report on a violent incident in Kiwakumbai on August 23. Kiwakimbai is located in the nucleus of Bosawás and is accessible only by foot or horseback. The group was escorted by local guides and police. The territory belongs to the Mayangna indigenous people who protect their lands but allow other people to work there. The National Police reported that during the incident, well armed assailants killed nine people and raped two women. The motive for the crime was a dispute over control of a gold mining camp.

On the way we found a house of the victims that was burned down by the assailants - further on we reached Kiwakumbai where we found a very extensive mining camp well equipped with milling and other machinery.

Local people estimated that the site was occupied by up to 40 artisanal mining collectives of 3 or 4 people each. In Nicaragua these people are called guiriseros. One of the guides explained to us the process of gold extraction.

The camp had a main house with sleeping quarters and a kitchen area, surrounding the house were various temporary shelters.

The miners dug tunnels into the hill. Their operations extended on both sides of a stream from which they drew water for their operations, contaminating the stream with the mercury.

The miners had purchased a concession for their operation from the local indigenous authorities as the land belongs to the Mayangna people. The municipal authorities and the national police report that among the miners there were Mayangna, Miskito and mestizo people and that the assailants who wanted to take control of the premises were also Mayangna with other people as accomplices.

Currently the national police are looking for 11 people who are fugitives, several of them of Mayangna origin who participated in this horrendous attack. The incident has caused widespread outrage and sadness among the inhabitants of nearby communities.