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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2023
CONTACT:
Myneilles Negron | +1 703 585 6727 | mynellies@communicationsshop.us
In the early hours of February 9, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo ordered the release of 222 of the 245 detained political prisoners who were transferred by air to the United States. The detained individuals have been in the custody of the Nicaraguan government for several months. In addition, this morning, the National Assembly of Nicaragua met to discuss the proposal for a special law that would strip Nicaraguan nationality from all individuals considered traitors of the homeland, therefore disqualifying them in perpetuity from participating in elected office and from exercising public functions.
Alianza Americas, which in the past has condemned the violation of political and human rights in Nicaragua, including the violation of freedom of expression and association of political opponents, welcomes the fact that individuals who had committed no crimes, and who openly expressed their dissent against the regime, have finally been released from prison. The criminal proceedings that were fabricated against these political prisoners were also plagued with violations of their rights to due process. The conditions throughout their detention also violated their personal integrity, threatening their health and their lives. “We celebrate that our Nicaraguan brothers and sisters were released. For them, their families and the people who support them, it is a relief to know that they are free. However, we reject that the regime is trying to dress their banishment as a practice that abides by the nation’s constitution and rule of law. No one can be deprived of their nationality,” said Yareliz Mendez-Zamora, TPS program coordinator for the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC).
Abel Nuñez, director of CARECEN DC and Vice President of Alianza Americas noted the importance of the U.S. protecting Nicaraguans being forced out of their home country under the regime. “We will continue to advocate and insist on the urgency of addressing the range of factors that continue to force hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans to flee their country, including fear of political repression. We urge the U.S. government to take further action on behalf of the Nicaraguan people. One such concrete step would be a new designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaraguans.”
Alianza Americas will continue calling for political opponents who continue to be deprived of their freedom in Nicaragua and the families of all those who have been released to be reunited with their loved ones as soon as possible.
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Alianza Americas is the premier transnational advocacy network of Latin American migrant-led organizations working in the United States, across the Americas, and globally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central and South America. In 2022, Alianza integrated with Presente.org, establishing a stronger digital organizing powerhouse.
