US secures release of 135 political prisoners in Nicaragua

The United States has secured the release of 135 political prisoners in Nicaragua after months of negotiations, the White House reported.

In statement issued on Thursday, Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor to the administration, said that these individuals were "unjustly detained on humanitarian grounds."  

Among those released are 13 members of the religious NGO Mountain Gateway, based in Texas (US). There are also "catholic laypeople, students, and others whom Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo consider a threat to their authoritarian rule,” according to the Biden administration.  

The ex-prisoners have traveled to Guatemala on Thursday morning, the Guatemalan President's office said. There they will be able to request their legal transfer to the US or other countries.

"The United States welcomes the leadership and generosity of the Government of Guatemala for graciously agreeing to accept these Nicaraguan citizens," the White House said.

In a post on X, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo confirmed the reception of these individuals. "Welcome, Nicaraguan brothers and sisters!," he said.

Why were they detained?

Earlier this year, Nicaragua accused members of Mountain Gateway of money laundering and organized crime.  

The group, which carries out evangelistic campaigns and humanitarian work, denied the accusations.  

They also said Nicaraguan authorities were able to review their budget.  

Biden administration has called on the Nicaraguan government to "immediately cease the arbitrary arrest and detention of its citizens for merely exercising their fundamental freedoms."

Last year Nicaragua released more than 200 political prisoners

In February 2023, Ortega's government freed 222 political prisoners and expelled them from the country.

They were taken to Managua International Airport, where they boarded a flight to Washington, DC.  

Some human rights activists saw their release as a strategy by Ortega to rid himself of opponents and improve relations with the US.

The Nicaraguan Congress approved on Tuesday a legal reform that allows the prosecution of those who commit crimes against the State from abroad.

The measure imposes prison sentences of up to 30 years for those who promote sanctions against the Managua government.  

Opponents believe this decision will be used by Ortega as a "tool for transnational repression."

Who is Daniel Ortega?

Daniel Ortega is a 78-year-old former leftist guerrilla leader. He ruled Nicaragua in the 1980s after the Sandinista revolution triumphed against US-backed forces.  

He returned to power in 2007 and was re-elected three years ago in an election that was not recognized by the United States and the European Union.  

Several international organizations have accused him of taking control of all branches of the state and repressing criticism with violence.  

Relations between the Catholic Church and his government began to deteriorate when Ortega accused it of conspiring against his regime.  

In 2023, he shut down about 5,500 NGOs in the country, many of them religious.

fmf/jcg (Reuters, AP)