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Nicaragua Releases Roughly 40 Political Prisoners Amid International Pressure

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  Published in Politics and Government on Sunday, November 30th 2025 at 5:28 GMT by The Straits Times

Nicaragua’s Government Releases About 40 Political Prisoners, Activists Say

The Straits Times – In a move that has been hailed by opposition circles as a “significant step” toward a more open political environment, the Nicaraguan government announced on Friday that it had freed roughly 40 individuals who had been held in prison for alleged political crimes. According to the accounts of activists and opposition members, the release includes a mix of opposition lawmakers, journalists, human‑rights lawyers and civil‑society figures who had been detained since the surge of protests that began in 2022 and the government’s subsequent crackdown.

The announcement, made by a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior, came after weeks of international pressure, with the United Nations Human Rights Council and several European states calling for the release of political detainees. “These men and women were not in the Nicaraguan prison system because of legitimate criminal offenses,” the spokesperson said in a statement released to the press. “Their detention was purely political, and the government is taking a constructive step toward national reconciliation.”

A Brief Overview of the Crackdown

The roots of the current wave of detentions lie in the 2022 “General Strike” that erupted across the country after President Daniel Ortega’s administration rolled back labor and civil‑rights protections. The protests were met with a forceful response, involving the use of tear gas, live ammunition and the mass arrest of thousands of protestors. In the months that followed, the Ortega regime intensified its clamp‑down on opposition politics, targeting a broad swath of the political spectrum: from former presidents and senators to journalists and independent trade‑union leaders. The United Nations recorded that more than 100 opposition figures were arrested in the 18 months leading up to the latest release.

Who Was Released?

While the government did not publish a full list of names, several prominent figures are known to have been freed. Among them are:

• María Fernanda “Lola” Paredes, a former deputy of the opposition coalition and a longtime human‑rights advocate who had been held in solitary confinement for 18 months. She was reportedly released on health grounds, citing worsening asthma.

• Luis Ernesto “El Lolo” Rivera, a senior journalist for La Voz de Nicaragua, who had been imprisoned for exposing alleged corruption within the national security apparatus.

• Ana María Gutiérrez, a lawyer who had represented several opposition figures in court and was charged with “undermining public order” in 2021.

• Jorge Manuel “El Jorote” Pérez, a former mayor of Managua’s historic Centro district, who had been imprisoned on an extradition request that was never fulfilled.

Activists note that the freed prisoners were allowed to leave the country on their own or with the help of international NGOs that had been lobbying for their release. In an email sent to The Straits Times, a group of opposition leaders said they were “very relieved” that the government had responded to the UN’s call for the release of the prisoners. However, they cautioned that the political climate remains fraught, and that many more detainees are still in custody.

International Reaction

The release was greeted with praise from several international actors. Angela Merkel, the former German chancellor, sent a brief note to the Nicaraguan opposition: “I welcome this positive development, but I hope it is the beginning of a broader, more inclusive democratic dialogue.”

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Anja W. Sjögren, released a statement saying: “The release of these individuals is a step forward, but the Nicaraguan government must immediately free all remaining political prisoners and ensure that no one is detained without due process.” She also urged the Nicaraguan judiciary to investigate the legality of the arrests and to establish an independent commission to oversee future detentions.

The European Union’s Special Representative for Central America, Javier M. Santos, highlighted the release in a press release that called for “the strengthening of democratic institutions and the protection of civil liberties.” He urged the Ortega administration to “refrain from further extrajudicial arrests” and to “engage in meaningful dialogue with opposition groups.”

The Road Ahead

While the release of the 40 prisoners is seen as a positive development, opposition leaders caution that it does not signal the end of the current repression. “The government’s motive for releasing these prisoners appears to be largely international optics rather than a genuine commitment to democratic reform,” said Luis M. Cruz, a former member of the National Assembly who was released last month. “We are still facing a climate of intimidation, and many more are still in detention awaiting trial.”

The Nicaraguan Ministry of the Interior did not clarify whether the release was temporary, citing concerns that the freed individuals might “re‑enter the political arena” and potentially destabilize the country. It also emphasized that the detainees were released “on condition of not engaging in any political activity.” The government’s stance has been widely criticized by opposition groups, who argue that such restrictions infringe on the constitutional right to freedom of expression.

In the months since the initial wave of arrests, the United Nations has urged the Nicaraguan government to allow an independent panel to review the legal basis for all political detentions. The Nicaraguan government, meanwhile, has responded by emphasizing that all detainees were “processed in accordance with Nicaraguan law.”

Conclusion

The release of roughly 40 political prisoners marks a noteworthy moment in Nicaragua’s fraught political landscape. While it has drawn international praise and offers a glimmer of hope for the nation’s struggling opposition, it also raises significant questions about the underlying causes of the detentions and the broader trajectory of democratic reform. As the international community continues to monitor the situation closely, the freed prisoners, their families, and the opposition remain hopeful that this decision will signal the start of a more inclusive and peaceful political future in Nicaragua.