Nicaragua Frees 222 Political Prisoners, Sends Them to the U.S.

By BERT HOOVER Feb 09 2023, 22:18 PM EST

Prisoners, including political figures, priests, students, and activists, inside notorious prisons in Nicaragua were woken up in the middle of the night, given the clothes they had been arrested in, and instructed to get dressed.

A few hours later, 222 people commonly regarded as political prisoners were deported from their home nation and arrived at an airport near Washington, D.C., the Associated Press reported.

The United States has claimed that President Daniel Ortega's government decided to free a large number of prisoners "unilaterally" but that it was the product of diplomatic efforts.

Meanwhile, according to President Joe Biden's remarks on Thursday, the United States thinks all political prisoners should be released.

"And whether this is a token of their demonstration that they're ready to begin to change the human rights policies or not remains to be seen," Biden said in an interview with Telemundo Noticias. "But the fact that they were released, we're happy to receive them, and I'm glad they're out."

It was a good move, according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

He also said that a U.S. citizen was among those freed by the Nicaraguan administration, and his release "marks a constructive step toward resolving violations of human rights in the country and opens the door to future engagement between the United States and Nicaragua over topics of concern.

Who Are the 222 Political Prisoners Released by the Nicaragua Government?

President Daniel Ortega has executed violent repression ever since the country of Nicaragua saw anti-government rallies in 2018.

He has jailed his political opponents and quelled public rallies, driving hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans to seek refuge elsewhere, according to NPR.

Inmates were allegedly subjected to horrifying conditions, according to their attorneys and relatives. Some had been in prison for a long time, while others had been imprisoned in the run-up to Nicaragua's presidential elections in 2021.

The authorities announced the release of 222 inmates by publishing a list of their names, as reported by Nicaraguan media company Canal. Many people oppose President Daniel Ortega in the elections, including clergy, youth activists, journalists, and opposition members like Félix Maradiaga and Cristiana Mara Chamorro Barrios.

This release of the political prisoners is unexpected. There were reportedly 245 political prisoners in Nicaragua, although human rights groups allege that most have been released.

Among those not freed is Catholic Bishop Rolando lvarez, who was imprisoned for speaking out against the administration.

The Political Prisoners From Nicaragua Will Be Paroled in the U.S. For Two Years

A senior official in the Biden administration said Thursday that the United States assisted in the transit of the liberated persons to the country and that they would be granted humanitarian parole for two years.

Those who willingly departed Nicaragua will receive medical and legal aid, according to the official, Al Jazeera noted.

The former inmates are being housed in hotels, and the Biden administration is working with "partners" to assist them in reintegrating into society, according to State Department spokesman Ned Price.

A court in Nicaragua read out a statement claiming that the 222 political prisoners had been "deported" due to a Wednesday decision branding them "traitors to the country."

A magistrate from the Managua Appeals court, Octavio Rothschuh, also confirmed that they were expelled because of their efforts to destroy Nicaragua's autonomy and sovereignty.

A separate constitutional amendment allowing for the deportation of "traitors" was unanimously passed by the Nicaraguan Congress on Thursday.

It needs to go to a second vote in the legislature later this year.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: More than 200 political prisoners released from Nicaragua expected in the US - From Guardian News