UNITED STATES: Nicaraguan political prisoners were freed and expelled to the United States on Thursday. Most of these prisoners, who were imminent government critics, were jailed during President Daniel Ortega’s repression of dissent in the present years.
Some of the prisoners who were freed were the former presidential candidates Juan Sebastian Chamorro, Felix Maradiaga, Miguel Mora, Medardo Mairena, and Arturo Cruz. Student activists like Lesther Aleman were also among the freed.
Some of the freed political prisoners were the five erstwhile presidential hopefuls who challenged the rising authoritarian Ortega in a 2021 election but were later imprisoned in a dragnet for eroding political dissent in the Central American country.
Ortega mentioned in his remarks that all the political prisoners were endeavouring to degrade national sovereignty by stating that they were “agents” of foreign rule.
On Thursday, Ortega loyalist judge mentioned that the political prisoners who were released proved to be “traitors,” whereas crowds of people at the Dulles International Airport greeted their loved ones by chanting “Free!”
This abrupt release of prisoners was explicated by Ortega later as a gesture to expel criminal provocateurs who tended to erode the foundation of Nicaragua. The United States saw this as a “conservative step” to ensure human rights.
Ortega disagreed in his remarks about making any concessions to US officials or initiating any economic sanctions’ lifting at the time of the release.
Ortega’s re-election had been denounced by Washington as a “sham” in 2021 after most of his worthy opponents were arrested by police prior to the months that led to the vote.
As reported by President Joe Biden’s administration, the freed prisoners would now have a permit to enter the United States on emergency humanitarian grounds.
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