135 Political Prisoners Released from Nicaragua Amidst U.S. Diplomatic Efforts
Early Thursday morning, the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo in Nicaragua made a significant move by releasing 135 political prisoners and placing them on a flight to Guatemala. This development was confirmed in a statement by Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor to the Biden-Harris Administration. The release was framed as a humanitarian gesture, with Sullivan noting that "no one should be put in jail for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights of free expression, association, and practicing their religion."
Shortly after the release, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo welcomed the political prisoners in Guatemala City. While the U.S. government stated there were no direct negotiations with Nicaragua regarding this release, significant pressure from the U.S. Congress was exerted, particularly for the liberation of 13 pastors from an evangelical organization based in Texas called Puertas de la Montaña. Sullivan emphasized that the release was a unilateral decision by the Nicaraguan regime to expand the list of freed political prisoners.
President Arévalo also expressed his commitment to democratic principles, stating on X, "Our country has shown its firm democratic conviction, which categorically rejects threats of authoritarian regression. Today we reaffirm that commitment and give back the international solidarity that we have received so many times, welcoming 135 Nicaraguan brothers released as political prisoners. Only in freedom and democracy do life and humanity flourish."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked Arévalo and his administration for their efforts in assisting the released prisoners, noting that they can now explore lawful pathways for resettlement in the United States or elsewhere, enabling them to begin rebuilding their lives.
Interestingly, this is not the first instance of U.S. intervention to secure the release of political prisoners from Nicaragua. In February 2023, a small group from the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Managua conducted Operation Nica Welcome, successfully facilitating the exile of 222 political prisoners, including opposition leaders, presidential candidates, journalists, and academics. These individuals were beneficiaries of the Humanitarian Parole program upon arriving at Dulles International Airport in Washington.
During that operation, the Sandinista government stripped the prisoners of their Nicaraguan nationality, confiscated their assets, and declared them fugitives from justice. In another notable incident, last January, the government banished Bishop Rolando Álvarez and other religious figures to Rome after mediation with the Vatican.
Currently, civil society organizations report that there are still 151 political prisoners in Nicaragua. The identities of the recently released 135 individuals remain unknown, but it is confirmed that the group includes 13 members of Puertas de la Montaña, alongside lay Catholics, students, and others deemed a threat by the authoritarian regime of Ortega and Murillo.
Jon Britton Hancock, founder and president of Puerta de la Montaña, expressed his relief over the release, saying, "This is the day we have been praying and believing God for." He also acknowledged the tireless work of members of Congress, the State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security in effecting their release from unjust imprisonment, as reported by The New York Times.
As the situation unfolds in Nicaragua, the international community watches closely, advocating for the fundamental rights of individuals persecuted under authoritarian regimes.
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