The Nicaraguan regime has released around 24 new political prisoners in recent days, amid direct pressure from the United States for unconditional releases, according to information from independent human rights organizations.
According to the Nicaraguan human rights NGO Mechanism for the Recognition of Political Prisoners, the releases have been taking place since January 10th and are being officially presented by the Sandinista regime as a benefit of “family coexistence”, as part of the “celebration” of dictator Daniel Ortega’s 19th anniversary in power. The organization confirmed the releases based on reports from family members. According to the Mechanism, with the 24 releases confirmed in recent days, the total number of political prisoners released by the regime since the beginning of this month has reached at least 30.
Despite the measure, human rights organizations still claim that the Ortega regime’s repression has not been stopped in Nicaragua. According to the NGO Monitoreo Azul y Blanco, days before the releases began, the regime declared a state of internal alert, reinforced surveillance in neighborhoods and intensified monitoring of social networks in different regions of the country.
During this period, around 60 Nicaraguans were arbitrarily detained for expressions of opinion or digital interactions related to the capture of the now former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro by the US. According to the organizations, 49 of these people remain in prison, which brings the total number of political prisoners in Nicaragua to at least 87, although only some of them are officially identified.
The entities also report that many of those released did not regain their full freedom. According to reports received, those released by the regime were sent home with travel restrictions, a ban on leaving their cities and an obligation to report to police authorities daily.
The ongoing releases in Nicaragua come after pressure from the United States government. In recent posts on social media, US State Department agencies classified Ortega’s regime as illegitimate and demanded the “unconditional” release of all political prisoners. In December, the US government said it was “closely watching” the actions of the Ortega regime.
