Mauricio Herdocia Sacasa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mauricio Herdocia Sacasa
Herdocia in 2016
Born	(1957-08-01)1 August 1957 León, Nicaragua
Died	21 January 2021(2021-01-21) (aged 63)
Citizenship	Nicaragua
Alma mater	National Autonomous University of Nicaragua
Occupation	Jurist, diplomat
Years active	1981–2021
Known for	International law
Children	3
Awards	Order of Rubén Darío

Mauricio Herdocia Sacasa (born August 1, 1957 – died January 21, 2021) was an important Nicaraguan expert in law and a diplomat. He was known for his work in international law, which deals with rules between countries. He worked for the Nicaraguan government, especially in the Foreign Ministry. He also held roles in big international groups like the United Nations and the Organization of American States.

In the 1980s, he helped with peace efforts in Central America. He worked to create legal and political structures for the region. Mauricio Herdocia was also a legal scholar and a professor. He was the head of the American College University. He wrote four books about Nicaragua's borders and independence. He received many awards for his work, including Nicaragua's Order of Rubén Darío [Wikidata].

Early Life and Education

Mauricio Herdocia Sacasa was born in León, Nicaragua, on August 1, 1957. When he was growing up, his father lived away from Nicaragua in Mexico. This was during the time of Anastasio Somoza García's rule.

Herdocia studied at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua in León. He learned from important teachers there. In 1981, he became a lawyer and a public notary. He also studied international law in The Hague and international negotiations in Mexico.

Career Highlights

Working for Peace in Central America

In the 1980s, Herdocia was a key negotiator in important peace talks in Central America. He worked with groups like the Contadora Group. These groups tried to end armed conflicts in the early 1980s. His work led to the Act of Contadora for Peace and Cooperation in Central America in 1986.

He also helped negotiate the Esquipulas I and II Peace Agreement. This agreement was signed in 1987. It helped start regular meetings for Central American Presidents. It also led to the creation of the Central American Parliament.

Serving in Government and International Bodies

Herdocia continued to work in the Nicaraguan government even after the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) government changed in 1990. He stayed in the Foreign Ministry. He was seen as someone who remembered important past policies. Herdocia believed that experienced officials should stay in government, no matter which political party was in power. This helped keep policies about Nicaragua's territory consistent.

From 1985 to 1997, he was an ambassador. He also coordinated the Territorial Commission, which he helped create. This group advised the Foreign Ministry on how to protect Nicaragua's borders. It helped create a shared plan for the country's territory. This plan was used in international discussions and court cases.

Herdocia also helped create the Central American Integration System (SICA) in 1993. This system helps Central American countries work together. He helped write the 1991 Protocol of Tegucigalpa, which started SICA. From 1997 to 2001, he was a political advisor and legal director for SICA. In 2000, he became the acting Secretary-General for the organization. He also helped write other important agreements, like the 1995 Framework Treaty on Democratic Security in Central America.

Work with the United Nations

From 1997 to 2001, Herdocia was part of the International Law Commission of the United Nations. This is the UN's highest group for international law. He was chosen by the General Assembly. He was the first (and as of 2016, only) Nicaraguan to be on this 34-member committee.

Defending Nicaragua's Borders

Mauricio Herdocia was very dedicated to protecting Nicaragua's independence and borders. He was a negotiator in arguments over land and sea borders with Colombia and Costa Rica. He also represented Nicaragua in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague for these border cases. The ICJ is a court that settles disagreements between countries.

He wrote four books about these topics. In 2016, he told the newspaper La Prensa that his career in international law was inspired by Nicaragua's history of facing outside threats. He said he felt a need to strengthen legal knowledge to defend the country's independence and territory.

He developed a new idea about the border argument with Colombia over the San Andrés and Providencia islands. He thought about Nicaragua's territory in the sea in a new way. This idea was used in a major 2012 ICJ ruling. This ruling confirmed Nicaragua's control over a large area of sea, more than 180,000 square kilometers.

Later Roles and Advisory Work

During the time Enrique Bolaños was president (2002 to 2007), Herdocia was president of the legal committee of the Organization of American States. He was also a legal advisor to the United Nations. When Daniel Ortega became president again in 2007, Herdocia was removed from Nicaragua's legal teams.

In 2018, Herdocia advised the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua (a group of Catholic bishops). This was during the National Dialogue that followed protests in Nicaragua.

In 2021, Herdocia was the head of the American College University. He was also a member of the editorial board for the newspaper La Prensa.

Personal Life

Mauricio Herdocia was married and had three children. He passed away on January 21, 2021, from a heart attack.

Honors and Awards

• Order of General José Dolores Estrada from President Enrique Bolaños
• Order of Rubén Darío, a very high honor, from President Bolaños
• Order of "Parlamento Centroamericano Francisco Morazán" from the Central American Parliament
• Order of "Miguel Larreynaga" from the Nicaraguan Academy of Law

Works

• Sacasa, Mauricio Herdocia (2003) (in es). La obra de la Comisión de derecho internacional de las Naciones Unidas en el quinquenio, 1997-2001: el aporte global de América Latina. Managua: Imprimatur Artes Gráficas. ISBN 978-99924-54-17-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=ISBN9992454172.
• Herdocia Sacasa, Mauricio (2005) (in es). Soberanía clásica un principio desafiado ... ¿Hasta dónde?. Managua: Comercial 3H. pp. 206. http://biblioteca.flacso.edu.gt/library/index.php?title=62786&lang=en&query=@title=Special:GSMSearchPage@process=@field1=encabezamiento@value1=OBLIGACIONES%20INTERNACIONALES%20@mode=advanced&recnum=4.
• Herdocia Sacasa, Mauricio (2008) (in es). Compendio: el principio emergente de la solidaridad jurídica entre los estados : edificando un nuevo orden público internacional. Managua: Comercial 3H. pp. 120. OCLC 808372127. https://www.worldcat.org/title/compendio-el-principio-emergente-de-la-solidaridad-juridica-entre-los-estados-edificando-un-nuevo-orden-publico-internacional/oclc/808372127.
• Sacasa, Mauricio Herdocia; Cardenal, Norman José Caldera (2013) (in es). La otra Nicaragua en el mar. Managua: La Prensa. pp. 235. ISBN 978-99924-76-26-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=RnLAoAEACAAJ.

See also

In Spanish: Mauricio Herdocia para niños

• Rafael Solís, Nicaraguan former Supreme Court justice
• Vilma Núñez, Nicaraguan human rights attorney