US officials have successfully negotiated the release of 135 political prisoners from Nicaragua on humanitarian grounds, according to a statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. These individuals, all Nicaraguan citizens, were unjustly detained amid ongoing political unrest.
The released prisoners have been transported to Guatemala, arriving Thursday morning local time, where they will have the opportunity to apply for relocation to the United States. Since 2018, President Daniel Ortega’s government has imprisoned hundreds of individuals in response to widespread protests against his regime.
In a recent report, the United Nations human rights office highlighted a significant decline in Nicaragua’s human rights situation over the past year. The report detailed alarming instances of torture, including sexual abuse and electric shocks inflicted on detainees. It noted a disturbing trend of persecution directed not only at dissenters but also at any individual or organization that operates independently from the government.
Additionally, over 5,000 non-governmental organizations, private universities, and civil society groups have been shuttered under government orders, with particular focus on those associated with religious entities. The Nicaraguan authorities have specifically targeted church groups, with reports of priests and pastors being forcibly apprehended during religious services.
Among those freed are Catholic laypeople, students, and 13 members of a Texas-based evangelical organization, as stated by the White House. This marks the second significant release of political prisoners by the US, following the transfer of 222 detainees from Managua to the United States in February of the previous year.
Rights organizations have condemned the escalating crackdown on dissent in Nicaragua, which has included actions such as revoking citizenship and confiscating properties of those opposing Ortega. The White House urged the Nicaraguan government to end the arbitrary arrests and detention of its citizens simply for exercising their fundamental freedoms. The Nicaraguan government has yet to respond to these developments.
