The White House announced on Thursday, September 5, that it had obtained the release, for humanitarian reasons, of 135 political prisoners in Nicaragua, who will be welcomed in Guatemala. The released prisoners are people « that [le président nicaraguayen] Daniel Ortega and [son épouse] Rosario Murillo considers them to be threats to their authoritarian regime”wrote Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, in a statement.
The 135 detainees transferred to Guatemala include students, Catholic worshipers and 13 members of a Texas Christian missionary organization, Mountain Gateway, according to the White House. “Once in Guatemala, these people will be offered the opportunity to rebuild their lives legally in the United States or other countries.”the press release states.
Unrecognized ballots
Daniel Ortega, 78, is a former guerrilla leader who ruled Nicaragua in the 1980s after the triumph of the Sandinista revolution. He returned to power in 2007 and was re-elected in elections not recognized by international bodies, the United States or the European Union, which accuse him of multiple authoritarian excesses.
On the other hand, relations between the Catholic Church and Mr. Ortega’s government have deteriorated dramatically since the Nicaraguan president accused the clergy of being complicit in alleged attempts to overthrow his regime.
Read also | Nicaragua Law Allows Regime Opponents Living Abroad to Be Tried
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