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Human Rights

Ruthless repression: Ortega imprisoned more than 1,800 people for political reasons in past 5 years

According to the IACHR, during this period the Nicaraguan tyrant has ordered the imprisonment of 1,841 opponents. To date, 47 people remain in detention, while 222 have been deported

Presidente de Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, durante el acto público, en Managua
Presidente de Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, durante el acto público, en Managua | EFE/Jorge Torres

June 5, 2023 8:54am

Updated: June 5, 2023 9:17am

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) published new figures on in Nicaraguan repression, five years after massive protests came close to removing dictator Daniel Ortega from power.

According to the IACHR, during this period the Nicaraguan tyrant has ordered the imprisonment of 1,841 opponents. To date, 47 people remain in detention, while 222 have been deported.

In the last year, the Sandinista regime has directed its violence especially against priests and nuns residing in the country. Recently, three nuns were expelled from Nicaragua, while Bishop Rolando Álvarez, one of Ortega's most emblematic prisoners, remains isolated in a maximum security prison.

Human rights organizations and activists have accused the regime of targeting and repressing the Catholic Church since the 2018 protests, when Nicaraguan bishops acted as mediators in a national dialogue to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis.

The IACHR has also denounced that the repression has caused at least 250,000 Nicaraguans to leave the country, in addition to the closure of 3,000 organizations and the revocation of the nationality of more than 300 people.