The Nicaraguan government placed 40 political prisoners under house arrest on Saturday, at a time when pressure from the United States is mounting against it and its main ally Venezuela, according to exiled media outlets and activist groups.Nicaraguan outlets operating from abroad, mainly in Costa Rica, such as La Prensa, Confidencial and 100% Noticias, reported that the figure could reach 40 people. The government has yet to comment.
According to Confidencial, which cited sources within the prison system, “among the prisoners of conscience are several with chronic illnesses, worsened by the conditions of confinement, and people over 60.”The Gran Confederación Opositora Nicaragüense (Grand Nicaraguan Opposition Confederation), which operates in exile, warned in a statement that this does not amount to “a full release,” but rather to house arrest that “continues to keep opponents under the yoke of the dictatorship.”
In a note, the group warned that these people will remain subjected to “psychological torture,” “systematic harassment” and “humiliation.”Avanza, another Nicaraguan activist group, expressed satisfaction with the move. The private Mechanism for the Recognition of Political Prisoners stated in its report of October 29 that there were 77 opposition members in Nicaraguan jails.
The news comes just weeks before the United States is due to announce whether it will apply tariffs of up to 100% on Nicaragua, citing human rights violations. Nicaragua, an ally of Venezuela, is governed by co-presidents Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo.
Both wield absolute power, have curtailed freedoms and crushed the opposition after the 2018 protests that left 300 dead. Managua considers those protests an attempted coup d’état sponsored by Washington. According to opposition reports, Ortega, 80, in power since 2007, is facing health problems, and Murillo, 74, is carrying out an internal purge to secure the succession.
