U.S. Secretary of State Welcomes Release of Political Prisoners in Nicaragua

On Thursday, September 6, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement welcoming the release of 135 political prisoners in Nicaragua. In the statement published on the U.S. State Department's website, he said these prisoners had been detained 'unjustly' by Nicaraguan authorities and were released for humanitarian reasons. Blinken noted that the released individuals entered Guatemala 'safely and voluntarily' and thanked the President and government of Guatemala for welcoming them. The statement indicated that the freed Nicaraguans would now have the opportunity to seek resettlement in the United States or any other country of their choice through legal means. The released individuals include human rights defenders, non-clerical Catholic activists, and 13 members of a religious organization based in Texas. Nicaraguan authorities had unjustly detained them for exercising their fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly, peaceful association, religion, or belief. Antony Blinken reminded that Daniel Ortega, Rosario Murillo, and their associates in Nicaragua continue to violate human rights, suppress and imprison opponents, seize their property, and prevent citizens from returning to their country. He called for the immediate and unconditional release of all political and ideological prisoners in Nicaragua, stating that the people of this country deserve a democracy where everyone can enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms without fear of harassment, persecution, or retaliation. The U.S. Secretary of State declared the United States' support for such a vision for Nicaragua.