Nicaragua releases and expels 222 political prisoners, including priests

Euskaraz irakurri: Nikaraguak 222 political prisoner espetxetik atera eta kanporatu ditu, tartean apaizak

The Nicaraguan authorities expelled to the United States this Thursday a group of 222 political prisoners, including five priests, whom they disqualified for life from holding public office or by popular election.

The 222 Nicaraguan prisoners, including 7 who tried to challenge the current president, the Sandinista Daniel Ortega, for the Presidency, were expelled to the United States “for traitors to the homeland“, according to the ruling of a Managua Court of Appeals.

“The immediate deportation of 222 people sentenced for committing acts that undermine the independence, sovereignty and self-determination of the people was ordered, for inciting violence, terrorism and economic destabilization”, according to the sentence, read by the magistrate from the Judicial Complex of Managua.

Among the political prisoners released by the Sandinista government are Christian Chamorrothe aspiring candidate for the presidency of Nicaragua who had the greatest probability of defeating the current president in the November 2021 elections.

In addition to Chamorro, who was notably absent from that electoral event, the list of those expelled includes the other six opposition leaders who tried to challenge Ortega at the polls: Arturo Cruz, Félix Maradiaga, Juan Sebastián Chamorro, Miguel Mora, Medardo Mairena and Noel Vidaurre.

Also five Nicaraguan Catholic priests who had just been sentenced to ten years in prison for crimes considered “treason.”

The list includes the general manager of the Nicaraguan newspaper The PressJuan Lorenzo Holmann Chamorro, as well as the student leaders Lesther Alemán and Max Jérez, and the historic dissident Sandinista guerrilla Dora María Téllez.

The Organization of American States (OAS) demanded this Thursday that the Ortega government restore the rights of prisoners.

The European Union He has expressed his satisfaction at the release of the political prisoners, but warned the country’s authorities that this “long-awaited” step is not enough and dialogue must follow.

Nicaragua is going through a political and social crisis since April 2018, which has been accentuated after the controversial general elections of November 7, 2021, in which Ortega was re-elected for a fifth term, fourth consecutive and second together with his wife, Rosario Murillo, as vice president, with his main contenders in prison or in exile.