Nicaragua frees more than 200 political prisoners, sends them to Washington

Nicaragua has freed 222 political prisoners, all of whom have been flown to the United States, the Biden administration announced Thursday.

The prisoners, many of them detained by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega amid a crackdown on critics and political opponents, arrived Thursday at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, the State Department said in a statement. Among those released were political and business leaders, journalists, civil society representatives and students, the administration said. One of the prisoners was a U.S. citizen.

Relations between the U.S. and Nicaragua have been strained due to the repressive tactics of Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo and the country’s growing ties with Russia. In 2021, Ortega and Murillo detained several political opponents and prevented opposition parties from participating in the country’s election.

Nicaragua approached the U.S. about its plan to free prisoners and the release was not part of a larger agreement with the U.S., State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters. All individuals aboard the flight were asked if they wanted to come to the U.S. before boarding and two people opted not to make the trip.

The Nicaraguan embassy in Washington, D.C. did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Nicaraguan judge denounced the prisoners as traitors being “deported” to the U.S.

Ortega has claimed the prisoners were detained for their involvement in plots to overthrow him during 2018 protests about police violence and changes to the country’s social security system.

The U.S. has been critical of the Nicaraguan government’s efforts to quell dissent by targeting protestors. Ortega’s security forces attacked demonstrators during the 2018 protests resulting in the death of 300 people and 100,000 Nicaraguans fleeing the country.

The White House praised the release of the prisoners, saying it “marks a constructive step towards addressing human rights abuses in the country and opens the door to further dialogue between the United States and Nicaragua regarding issues of concern.”

Francisco Aguirre-Sacasa, a former Nicaraguan foreign minister was detained in 2021 after criticizing Ortega and Murillo. His son, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who is a screenwriter for television drama “Riverdale,” led a petition advocating for his release.

Francisco’s daughter Georgie Aguirre-Sacasa was relieved to learn of her father’s release earlier this morning and expressed gratitude for the lawmakers working to aid her family.

“There are no words I can say to thank the State Department, [former Sen. Chris Dodd], Sen. Bob Menendez and the administration for what they just did,” Augirre-Sacasa said. “It’s incredible.”

The U.S. government is providing medical and legal support to the newly released prisoners “to ease their arrival,” the administration said.