Nicaragua Frees More Than 200 Political Prisoners, Including Five Former Presidential Candidates: Majority Flew To US

Illustration. (Pixabay/4711018)

JAKARTA - More than 200 political prisoners in Nicaragua were released and flown to the United States on Thursday, including five other former presidential candidates and critics of President Daniel Ortega, in what Washington described as "constructive steps" toward improving human rights.

A Nicaraguan judge denounced the 222 released prisoners as "traitors" in a televised statement, saying they had been "deported".

Crowds waited to greet their loved ones at Dulles International Airport near Washington, waving flags and chanting "free!", following a surprise move by the Government of Nicaragua.

A US official said Managua's aim was to demonstrate its desire to repair long-frozen ties with Washington, with the Ortega government asking nothing in return.

In 2021, Washington imposed sanctions and denounced Ortega's re-election as a "sham" after many opponents were jailed before the vote, following which journalists and religious figures were also later jailed.

The released prisoners will be allowed to enter the United States under the pretext of a humanitarian emergency, President Joe Biden's administration said in a note to Congress.

Speaking on Nicaraguan radio, Vice President Rosario Murillo said Nicaragua had carried out "the expulsion and transfer of persons convicted of attacks on sovereignty."

"This sovereign decision of the state of Nicaragua has been taken in the highest interest of our country, to live in harmony," he said.

Nicaragua's government says it plans to change the law to allow it to strip released prisoners of citizenship, effectively shutting down any future plans they might have for return.

Among those freed were former presidential candidates Juan Sebastian Chamorro, Felix Maradiaga, Miguel Mora, Medardo Mairena and Arturo Cruz, as well as prominent student activist Lesther Aleman, according to Nicaraguan court documents.

Among those released was dual national Michael Healy, who had been sentenced to 13 years in prison.

About 100 people waited for their arrival at the airport, with many waving Nicaraguan flags and signs with the names of those released. Some sang the beloved national anthem, "My Nicaragua."

Ariana Gutierrez Pinto, 28, said she was eager to be reunited with her 63-year-old mother, Evelyn Pinto, who was released just in time to celebrate her birthday later this month.

"I'm so nervous," Ariana said.

"There were days when I lost hope, but my father was always optimistic, the whole family was optimistic. So was my mother. She never lost hope," he continued.

On Twitter, the Alliance of Universities of Nicaragua wrote: "Our friends have been released," referring to the four students who were jailed after participating in the protests.

"Several of these individuals have spent years in prison, many for exercising their fundamental freedoms, in appalling conditions and without access to due process," a State Department spokeswoman said.

The release "marks a constructive step toward addressing human rights abuses in the country and opens the door for further dialogue between the United States and Nicaragua on issues of concern," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

In addition to the 222 people who went to the United States, two others were released but chose not to travel, the State Department added.