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Ortega jails student leaders and the peasant movement in Nicaragua

2021-07-07T10:26:52.036Z


Among those arrested is the student Lesther Alemán, who stood up to the Sandinista president during the 2018 protests


The student Lesther Alemán when he rebuked Daniel Ortega in 2018. Alfredo Zuniga / AP

Nicaraguan police detained university leaders and four well-known peasant leaders who led the 2018 protests, which demanded the end of Daniel Ortega's regime, on Monday night.

Among the detainees are two important opposition figures: the student Lesther Alemán and the peasant Medardo Mairena, who becomes the sixth presidential candidate arrested since June by Sandinismo.

Lesther Alemán, the university leader who in 2018 faced Daniel Ortega with the cry of "surrender" in the so-called national dialogue called by the Catholic Church during social protests, was arrested on Tuesday night, his group, the Alliance, has reported. Nicaraguan University (AUN). Along with Alemán, the university student Max Jérez has been arrested. These students join the 21 political prisoners that the Sandinista government has captured on the grounds of "treason against the fatherland" and an alleged money laundering case against opposition leader Cristiana Chamorro.

The Campesino Movement, a strong opposition group in Nicaragua, has reported the recapture of its leader and presidential candidate, Medardo Mairena. Other peasant leaders have also been arrested: Pedro Mena, Fredy Navas and Pablo Morales. Mairena had already been arrested in 2018 and was released a year later after a questioned Amnesty decreed by Ortega. The candidate of peasant origin was sentenced to 216 years in prison at that time, and during his confinement of more than eleven months he denounced torture and ill-treatment.

“Lesther and Max were in a safe house for a long time due to the siege they were under. Since yesterday they had a police presence in the house. Earlier today I was able to speak with Lesther and he told me that he was emotionally stable in the face of any vicissitudes. Unfortunately at this time of night, as is the norm, they were cowardly arrested ”, reported Yubrank Suazo, a political prisoner and member of the Civic Alliance platform, which includes the university students arrested. “These students are a bulwark of courage and dedication to the blue and white fight. Lesther said a few days ago that, as an opponent of Ortega, he was prepared for jail or death, "said Suazo, who does not rule out that he could be arrested.

Alemán was one of the voices that publicly challenged Ortega in the national dialogue in 2018, and his rebuke transcended the borders of Nicaragua. “This is not a dialogue table. It is a table to negotiate his departure and he knows it very well, because the people are what they have requested, ”Alemán said, with a firm voice, in 2018.

With the arrest of these students and peasants, the Ortega-Murillo government has beheaded almost the entire Nicaraguan opposition, including journalists, closing the way for their reelection in the elections scheduled for November. Despite widespread international rejection, Ortega has said that "he will not take a step back" by jailing opponents. “Here we are not judging politicians, we are not judging candidates. Criminals who have attacked the country are being tried here, ”said Ortega on June 23. The Sandinista president pointed out that the detainees were trying to organize "another coup" similar to the outbreak that occurred in April 2018 to overthrow him. "That is what we are pursuing, investigating, and that is what will be punished in due course, as required by law," he added.

The relatives of the imprisoned opponents have denounced that the police do not allow them food and medicine to enter the Judicial Aid prison, where they are being held.

Nor have they allowed legal support.

Most of these raids have occurred at night and human rights defenders classify them as “kidnappings”.

The Police have assaulted and raided the home of 12 people at night or early in the morning.

Night invasions are not contemplated by the Constitution and are classified as assaults.

"The night has become synonymous with fear and for some with terror," said Bishop Rolando Álvarez.

"The Ortega-Murillos" use terror "to demobilize and disorganize opponents and journalists," said Gonzalo Carrión, a human rights defender.

Carrión believes that the Sandinista regime is establishing "nights of terror" that carry the message of instilling fear in other opponents and the rest of the citizens.

"It is common to hear people in Nicaragua wonder:" Who is next? "Adds Carrión, who recalls that this strategy was also used by the Somoza dictatorship to terrorize opponents.

In recent weeks, more than a dozen journalists have had to leave Nicaragua to preserve their freedom, such as the renowned journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro, who returned to Costa Rica after his home was raided by the police.

The government has stepped up threats to apply the "Cybercrime" law to reporters, a rule that gives the government the power to decide what is fake news, imposing between one to eight years in prison.

Source: elparis

All news articles on 2021-07-07

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