The surprise announcement comes as Daniel Ortega’s government is strained by growing authoritarianism. Nicaragua.
A court in Managua upheld the release and deportation of the 222nd person. rival. The full list was later released by the government.
Among them are former presidential candidate Cristiana Chamorro and her brother and former minister Pedro Joaquín Chamorro, as well as other politicians who want to challenge Ortega in the latest election. Both are sons of former president Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (1990-1997).
They were also released and deported to the United States (United States) Two other members of the Chamorro family are former guerrilla commander Dora María Téllez, now linked to the online newspaper La Prensa in exile.
US officials said they would allow detainees to stay in the country for at least two years and provide them with medical and legal support.
“Here we are in the land of the free and we are very grateful,” one of the released prisoners, economist and former presidential candidate Juan Sebastián Chamorro, told reporters at the hotel where he was transferred.
Read more: Inter-American court declares its contempt for Nicaragua and will refer case to OAS
“We’ve been behind bars for 20 months, in a maximum security prison, in total isolation, but here we stand with our heads held high,” Violeta Chamorro’s niece said.
Ortega did not comment on the deportation of those arrested, but plans to speak on national television Thursday. Judge Octavio Rothschuh, head of the Managua Court of Appeals division, said 222 people were “deported” for being “traitors”.
Rosario Murillo, vice president and Ortega’s wife, told official media that the decision was made “in the best interest for our country to live, work and develop in peace and harmony.”
Some Nicaraguans view the eviction as a show of goodwill towards the United States, which has sanctioned Managua and welcomed the move. Others believe it is about getting rid of captured opponents.
The judge said they had all been permanently stripped of their political rights and the government would revoke their Nicaraguan citizenship.
“The exiles” were “permanently excluded from public office and positions in popular elections, their civil rights were permanently suspended,” the judge said.
Meanwhile, the Ortega supporters’ parliament passed a law on Thursday allowing “traitors to lose their Nicaraguan status.” The rule requires a second regulatory approval, which will be approved in the second half of this year.
Hundreds of dissidents have been arrested in connection with the crackdown following the 2018 protests against Ortega, who has been in power in Nicaragua since 2007 and was repeatedly re-elected in contentious elections.
The news was welcomed by the US government and Nicaraguans in exile.
Antony Blinken, chief of US diplomacy, praised the release and said it could pave the way for more dialogue with Ortega.
“The release of these individuals, including a US citizen, by the Nicaraguan government is a constructive step in addressing human rights abuses in the country and opens the door for more dialogue between the US and Nicaragua on issues of concern. Blinken said in a statement.
Arturo McFields, a former OAS ambassador now living in the United States who was fired after Ortega described his country as a dictatorship, told AFP that “these people have been driven out of the Nicaraguan dictatorship”.
“If someone is released in Nicaragua, they don’t have these basic guarantees: the right to life, freedom of movement, the right to demonstrate and remain a citizen, so they have to leave the country,” he said.
Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramírez, vice president during Ortega’s first term (1985-1990) and now living in exile in Spain, expressed his satisfaction.
“Today is a big day in Nicaragua’s freedom struggle as many wrongly convicted or persecuted prisoners are being released from prisons where they should never have been. They go into exile, but are released.” Ramirez tweeted.
Relatives and friends of the freedmen have gathered at Dulles International Airport in the US capital to wait for their loved ones.
The mother of human rights activist Evelyn Pinto, who has been in prison since November 2021, said she felt “hope” after her daughter was released.
Lyana Barahona was waiting for her cousin Sueyen, a human rights activist and director of UNAMOS, who has been in prison for more than a year. He brought her a suitcase of clothes. “I am very happy,” he told AFP.
Source: Ultimahora
Source link
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
