Tamara Dávila Rivas (born c. 1981) is a Nicaraguan sociologist, feminist and political activist. She is a member of Union for Democratic Renewal (Unamos); the Political Council of the National Unity Blue and White opposition group; and the executive committee of the unified opposition front, the National Coalition. On June 13, 2021, she was part of a wave of arrests of opposition figures by the government of

Daniel Ortega José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (; born 11 November 1945) is a Nicaraguans, Nicaraguan revolutionary and politician serving as President of Nicaragua since 2007. Previously he was leader of Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, first as coordinator of the ...

Early life

Tamara Dávila is the daughter of late Sandinista revolutionaries Sadie María Rivas Reed and Irving Dávila Escobar. After her mother died in a car accident in 1999, her father remarried María Josefina Vigil Gurdián, sister of

Ana Margarita Vijil use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates ...

, former president of the

Sandinista Renovation Movement The Sandinista Renovation Movement (''Movimiento Renovador Sandinista'' or MRS, in Spanish) is a Nicaraguan political party founded on 21 May 1995. It defines itself as a democratic and progressive party, made of women and men, which promotes the ...

(MRS). Dávila is thus considered Vijil's niece. She is a psychologist who has worked in the social field, fighting for human rights and gender equality. She has a master's degree in Gender, Identity and Citizenship from the

University of Huelva The University of Huelva is a public university in Huelva, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further ...

in Spain as well as a master's in Social Policies, Rights and Protagonism of Children and Adolescents from the

Central American University José Simeón Cañas Central American University ( es, Universidad Centroamericana "José Simeón Cañas"), also known as UCA El Salvador, is a private university with nonprofit purposes in San Salvador, El Salvador, run by the Society of Jesus. ...

(UCA).

Activism

Dávila has been politically active in the anti-government protests that began in 2018, participating in demonstrations and once getting arrested. She is a member of Union for Democratic Renewal (Unamos) and the Political Council of the National Unity Blue and White opposition group."Policía Arresta a La Opositora Tamara Dávila." ''La Prensa'', June 13, 2021, via ProQuest. In July 2020, she was named as one of its representatives to the executive committee of the unified opposition, the National Coalition.Álvarez, Leonor. "Estos Son Los 21 Delegados Que Integran El Comité De La Coalición Nacional." ''La Prensa'', July 15, 2020 via ProQuest. Because of harassment Dávila faced for her human rights work, the

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (the IACHR or, in the three other official languages Spanish, French, and Portuguese CIDH, ''Comisión Interamericana de los Derechos Humanos'', ''Commission Interaméricaine des Droits de l'Homme'', ...

(IACHR) issued precautionary measures intended to ensure her safety. On June 12, 2021, Dávila was arrested by the government of

in a series of arrests of opposition candidates for president and other opposition leaders. Her house was raided while she was home with her four-year-old daughter and the police subsequently released a statement indicating she, like many of the other arrested opposition figures, was being investigated for alleged “acts that undermine independence, sovereignty, and self-determination", that is, violating the controversial

Law 1055 Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

, called the Guillotine Law by critics. It was one of four laws passed in December 2020 granting broad power to the government to make a unilateral designation of citizens as “traitors to the homeland”. Two days after her arrest, the Public Prosecutor's Office announced Dávila and others would be held for 90 days of preventative detention while being investigated.Díaz López, Karen
"Régimen Impone 90 Días De Detención a Tamara Dávila y Dora María Téllez."
''La Prensa'', Jun 14, 2021, via ProQuest. Vijil was arrested on June 13 at her home with former Sandinista commander

Dora María Téllez Dora María Téllez Argüello (born 1955) is a Nicaraguan historian known for her involvement in the Nicaraguan Revolution. As a young university medical student in León in the 1970s, Téllez was recruited by the Sandinista National Liberation ...

, who was also arrested. On 19 July 2021, the IACHR ruled that Dávila was in a situation of “extreme gravity, urgency and imminent danger of irreparable damage to errights” and issued precautionary measures to protect her and her immediate family members, including ordering her immediate release by the Nicaraguan government.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dávila, Tamara Nicaraguan women activists Nicaraguan feminists Political prisoners in Nicaragua Central American University alumni 1980s births Living people University of Huelva alumni Nicaraguan prisoners and detainees