Relatives of an opponent detained in Nicaragua denounce police siege of their home | CNN

File image of an anti-government demonstration in Managua, Nicaragua, on August 18, 2018 (Credit: Inti Ocon / AFP via Getty Images)

(CNN Spanish) -

Karen Lacayo, sister of jailed opposition member Edward Lacayo, told CNN on Friday that police officers have remained outside her home in Masaya, about 30 kilometers west of Managua, for the past two weeks, and not They allow their mother, Estela Rodríguez, to leave the house.

According to Karen Lacayo, the mother of another released opponent who came to visit her mother on Wednesday was also held for 24 hours.

This went on until, according to her, the police allowed her to take a taxi on Thursday, and she was followed by an officer on a motorcycle.

Lawyer Julio Montenegro, a member of the independent legal team Defensores del Pueblo, published on December 10 on his social networks a video recorded by Karen Lacayo in which he states that the police siege has seriously affected the health of his mother.

In the text that accompanies the video published by Montenegro, it states that a friend of the Lacayo family also remained “unable to leave” the house since the previous day.

CNN has tried to find out the reasons for the police presence at the Lacayo family home, but the Police Public Relations Directorate has not yet responded to inquiries.

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CNN also asked the Communication and Citizenship Council coordinated by Vice President Rosario Murillo, but as of this Friday they had not responded.

Karen Lacayo told CNN that in recent days she had denounced this situation to the Follow-up Mechanism to Nicaragua (Meseni), of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, because she does not trust the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Police or the Judiciary to take some measure.

El Meseni confirmed to CNN that they are aware of Karen Lacayo's situation.

The position of the IACHR

Through its social networks, Meseni reported on December 8 that "it obtained testimonies that show that the police repression against social and political leaderships in the country intensified since last weekend."

This occurs, said the entity, "when civil society starts the campaign 'Christmas without political prisoners," said the entity.

• LEE: Families of opponents detained in Nicaragua launch campaign "No freedom, no Christmas"

According to this IACHR mechanism, "the complainants report permanent police surveillance, inexplicable police summons, and the inability to leave their homes."

"The #CIDH considers these events serious, especially against those who have already been victims of human rights violations," he adds.

Karen Lacayo denounced on December 2 to the Defensores del Pueblo legal team that her house was constantly monitored by the National Police.

Julio Montenegro considers that at least the public complaint constitutes a reference, since the police and the Public Prosecutor's Office do not take action in these situations.

The Public Ministry did not respond to our inquiries about this statement.

A day earlier, organizations representing relatives of opponents arrested during the anti-government protests that broke out in April 2018 launched the campaign "No freedom, no Christmas."

This campaign calls for the freedom of more than 100 imprisoned opponents.

The government of Daniel Ortega does not recognize the existence of political prisoners, arguing that all the detainees are common criminals.

Edward Lacayo was sentenced in August 2019 to 15 years in prison for alleged drug trafficking.

According to his lawyer there was no evidence.

For Montenegro, Lacayo was a leader of the opposition protests in Masaya in 2018.