The Nicaraguan government announced on Saturday that it had freed dozens of inmates from the country’s national penitentiary system, following pressure from the U.S. for the release of more than 60 political prisoners.
The administration of President Daniel Ortega did not specify the exact number of people released, nor did it clarify whether they had been detained for political reasons. It is also unclear whether those freed will be placed under house arrest. A human rights NGO monitoring political prisoners in Nicaragua identified 19 individuals released on Saturday.
Former prisoner and opposition leader Ana Margarita Vijil, head of the UNAMOS political movement, told Reuters that the released detainees “are political prisoners, and several of them are our friends.” She confirmed that among those freed were former mayor Oscar Gadea, evangelical pastor Rudy Palacios, and four of his relatives. Palacios had been detained in July after criticising the government over human rights violations and for supporting demonstrators who took to the streets in 2018 demanding Ortega’s ouster.
The move in Nicaragua comes at a time when Venezuela, also under U.S. pressure, has begun releasing political prisoners. Analysts suggest that these developments reflect the extent to which some left‑wing governments in Latin America are under pressure from Washington to respond to U.S. demands, particularly in the wake of last week’s dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. special forces. Maduro faces U.S. federal charges of narco‑terrorism and drug trafficking and has claimed he was kidnapped.
Ortega responded to the 2018 protests with widespread repression that left at least 350 people dead and hundreds detained. He and his wife, Rosario Murillo, maintain tight control over virtually all aspects of government, including the armed forces and judiciary.
The U.S. embassy in Nicaragua praised the release of opposition figures in Venezuela on Friday and urged the Nicaraguan government to follow suit. In a tweet, the embassy said:
“In Nicaragua, more than 60 people remain unjustly detained or missing, including pastors, religious workers, the sick and the elderly. Peace is only possible with freedom!”
A coalition of opposition groups, Liberales Nicaragua, welcomed the Nicaraguan government’s decision. In a statement, they suggested the release was the result of political pressure from the U.S. government and “the political chess moves triggered by events in Venezuela.”
The release of political prisoners in Nicaragua marks a rare concession by Ortega’s administration, which has long been accused of suppressing dissent and curtailing democratic freedoms. Human rights organisations continue to monitor the situation closely, noting that the majority of political detainees remain behind bars or under strict restrictions.
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