Mauricio Herdocia

Mauricio Herdocia Sacasa (1 August 1957 – 21 January 2021) was a Nicaraguan jurist who specialized in international law, and diplomat. He held roles in the Nicaraguan government, especially in the Foreign Ministry, across party lines, as well as roles in major international legal bodies including at the United Nations and the Organization of American States. In the 1980s, he worked on a number of peace processes in Central America, helping formalize legal and political structures for the region. Also a legal scholar and professor, he was rector of the American College University and the author of four books on the laws governing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nicaragua. His contributions were recognized with a number of honors both nationally and internationally, including Nicaragua's Order of Rubén Darío.

Early life Mauricio Herdocia Sacasa was born in León, Nicaragua, on 1 August 1957. Herdocia studied at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (León), studying with prominent faculty including Edgardo Buitrago, activist Rafael Ortega Aguilar, and agriculture specialist Haydée Flores. He also completed postgraduate studies in international law at the Institute for International Law in The Hague and in international negotiations at the Matías Romero Institute in Mexico. He became political advisor and legal director for the Secretary-General of SICA from 1997 to 2001 and, in 2000, was promoted to acting Secretary-General for the organization. Elected by the UN General Assembly, Herdocia was the first (and as of 2016 remained the only) Nicaraguan to be included on the 34-member committee.

Committed to issues of Nicaraguan sovereignty and territorial integrity, Herdocia was a negotiator in border disputes with Colombia and Costa Rica, both land-based and maritime,

During the presidency of Enrique Bolaños (2002 to 2007), Herdocia was president of the legal committee of the Organization of American States (the Inter-American Juridical Committee, elected unanimously in 2003) and legal advisor to the United Nations.

In 2018, Herdocia was an advisor to the Episcopal Conference of Catholic bishops during the National Dialogue that followed the anti-government protests and repression by the Ortega government.

Personal life Herdocia was married with three children. He died of a heart attack on 21 January 2021. Order of Rubén Darío, in the grade of the Grand Cross, from President Bolaños Order of "Parlamento Centroamericano Francisco Morazán" in the rank of Commander from Central American Parliament Order of "Miguel Larreynaga" from the Nicaraguan Academy of Law

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