Justice for All in Nicaragua

The common Nicaraguan saying—"A poor person goes to jail for stealing a chicken, but a rich person always gets off" – reflects the injustice that the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee’s Mark VanderWees sees all around him in the country.

"Nicaragua has an elaborate legal code, but it is often applied unevenly," explained VanderWees, CRWRC's country consultant in Nicaragua.

"Money talks, from the police officer just barely scraping by to the local judge...The people most vulnerable to abuse are those who are naïve or can't afford to get professional (legal) help."

That's why CRWRC works with the Christian Center for Human Rights (CCDH) in Nicaragua as part of its ministry. CCDH is a network of Nicaraguan lawyers who are committed to promoting biblical principles of justice. In addition to their regular caseload, they provide free or low-cost legal services to people who would otherwise not be able to afford representation. Through mediation or by representing a client in court, they help achieve justice for those in poverty. This past year alone, CCDH's network resolved over 800 cases for Nicaraguans in poverty.

Consider Adelaida, a single mother of a blind teenage boy. Adelaida's partner forced her from their home and left her without support for raising her son. With the help of CCDH, she was connected with a lawyer named Carman Riviera. Carman has been practicing as a lawyer for more than 10 years in her home town of Jinotega, high in the mountains of Central Nicaragua.

A couple of years ago, Carman and a colleague opened a House of Justice, an inconspicuous one-room office on a narrow side street that offers affordable legal aid to people that are 'outside' of the formal justice system. Through this House of Justice, Carman met and was able to help Adelaida and the boy’s father reach an agreement to provide long-term care for their son.

"Most cases are simple," said VanderWees, "but to those involved they have significant consequences—land disputes, unfair dismissal by an employer, and sadly many domestic violence cases. Besides offering legal advice, CCDH also trains justice promoters who volunteer in outlying communities to help community members understand their citizen rights and responsibilities. The justice promoters also train people how to resolve conflicts before they flare up. When the issues get overly complex, the justice promoters and CCDH lawyers can back them up."

To learn more about CRWRC's work with CCDH, watch this short video.

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