Trump Wins Again
Nicaragua’s left-wing government announced Saturday that it had released a group of inmates from its national prison system—just one day after the United States demanded the freedom of more than 60 political prisoners still being held in the country.
The move comes amid mounting pressure on socialist regimes across Latin America, particularly as Venezuela has also begun releasing detainees following increased U.S. diplomatic and security actions.
Analysts say the decision reflects growing concern among authoritarian governments about Washington’s renewed willingness to apply firm pressure abroad. That concern intensified after last week’s high-profile U.S. special forces operation involving Nicolas Maduro, who faces U.S. federal charges tied to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. Maduro has claimed he was forcibly taken.
Nicaragua Offers Few Details on Prisoner Releases
The government of President Daniel Ortega confirmed the releases but declined to say how many inmates were freed or whether they were detained for political reasons. Officials also refused to clarify whether those released would face restrictions such as house arrest or ongoing surveillance.
A human rights organization that tracks political detentions reported that at least 19 individuals were released on Saturday.
Former political prisoner and opposition leader Ana Margarita Vijil said the released inmates were political detainees, many of whom are affiliated with opposition movements.
She identified former mayor Oscar Gadea among those released, along with Evangelical pastor Rudy Palacios and several members of his family.
Pastor Detained After Criticizing Government
Palacios was arrested last summer after publicly criticizing Nicaragua’s government over alleged human rights violations. He had also expressed support for mass protests in 2018 that demanded Ortega’s removal from office.
Those protests were met with a severe crackdown that left at least 350 people dead and hundreds more imprisoned. Since then, Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, have consolidated control over nearly every branch of government, including the military and judicial system.
U.S. Embassy Calls for More Releases
On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua publicly praised Venezuela’s recent prisoner releases and urged Nicaragua to take similar steps.
The embassy said that more than 60 individuals in Nicaragua are still being held unfairly or remain unaccounted for, including pastors, faith leaders, the ill, and elderly citizens, adding that lasting peace cannot exist without freedom.
Opposition coalition Liberales Nicaragua welcomed the prisoner releases but emphasized that outside pressure—not reform—was responsible.
“There is no doubt this decision resulted from direct political pressure by the United States and from shifting dynamics across the region,” the group said.
