The Ortega-Murillo government has excarcerated fifty political prisoners, in a symbolic move intended to mark Mothers’ Day.
The excarcerated prisoners were taken to their homes, using vehicles belonging to the penitentiary system, as is customary.
On Monday, the Ortega-Murillo negotiation team announced that there were “exactly 142 [political prisoners] left to excarcerate.” The press release also characterized excarcerations as demonstrating the government’s “generosity and absolute commitment to family.”
The Alianza Cívica challenged the Ortega-Murillo government’s prisoner tally as undercounting the number of prisoners by 91. In a letter to Laure Schneeberger, who represents the ICRC in Nicaragua, the Alianza requested an official update of the ICRC’s list, which both sides agreed to use.
“To date, there are 233 political prisoners being held in various detention or penitentiary centers run by the State,” according to the Alianza. Additionally, there are 102 people who have been reported as “captured”, but whose whereabouts are unknown.
“The Government of the Republic of Nicaragua must provide information about them.”
🔴 Al 27 de mayo aún están secuestrados 233 presos políticos y 102 personas están desaparecidas, según registros que envió la Alianza Cívica al Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja. pic.twitter.com/AG49oM76kJ
— Wilmer Benavides Fonseca (@chepitillo1) May 29, 2019
So far, the following political prisoners have been excarcerated today.
Franklin Sequeira (Carazo)
Franklin Sequeira de Carazo. Està Excarcelado en su casa. pic.twitter.com/PpGplF1yOB
— BOLETIN ECOLOGICO (@BOLETINECOLOGI) May 30, 2019
Harry Valverde (Carazo)
Harry Valverde de Carazo, es uno de los excarcelados este 30 de mayo. Día de las Madres nicaragüenses.#SOSNicaragua pic.twitter.com/CYIvJxcHKn
— Hector Rosales (@Hector_RosalesA) May 30, 2019
Oscar Danilo Lanzas (Sébaco)
Oscar Danilo Lanzas de Sébaco Excarcelados ya con su Esposa. La herôica gata, luchò sin descanso hasta ver libre casi marido. Imágenes de David Quintana. pic.twitter.com/NK3WyAEIHw
— BOLETIN ECOLOGICO (@BOLETINECOLOGI) May 30, 2019
In addition, Julio Montenegro, of the CPDH, confirmed ten more names, mostly from Sébaco.
Misael de Jesus Escorcia, Mauricio Eliezer Castillo, Guillermo Rodriguez Tinoco, Julio Cesar Alvarado, Modesto Jose Machado, Freddy José Vega, Michael Alexander Valle, Oscar Danilo Mendoza, todos del departamento de Sébaco y Julio Francisco Alvarado Chavala han sido excarcelados.
— Julio Montenegro (@JulioMonOficial) May 30, 2019
Journalist Marcos Medina, of Radio Corporación, verified that Juan José González López was also excarcerated.
Los presos excarcelados que he podido confirmar. Oscar Danilo Mendoza Lanzas, Franklin Sequeira (Masatepe), Juan José González López, Harry Valverde (Carazo), Mauricio Castillo, Freddy Vega, Julio Alvarado, Modesto Machado, Misael de Jesús Escorcia y Guillermo Rodriguez Tinoco.
— Marcos Medina Ramos (@MarcosMedina_R) May 30, 2019
As excarcerations were underway, MIGOB published the official list of the prisoners, whom are described as “people who were detained for crimes against common security and public peace.” MIGOB added that excarcerations were a unilateral decision of the government, and that the International Committee of the Red Cross was at hand, as observers.”
- Rodrigo Jose Evertz Núñez
- Félix José Picado Castro
- José Iván González Irías
- Omar Adonis Mairena Valle
- Humberto Cecilio Hernández Hernández
- José Mauricio Úbeda Mercado
- Jimmy Jeyller Rodríguez Méndez
- Eddy José Gutiérrez Valle
- Asisclo Torrez Larios
- Jorge Luis Zeledón López
- Douglas Antonio Picado Guido
- Franklin Javier Olivas
- Modesto José Machado Urbina
- Misael de Jesús Escorcia Rugama
- Michael Alexander Valle Hernández
- Julio César Alvarado Rizo
- Freddy José Vega Arancibia
- Guillermo José Rodríguez Tinoco
- Mauricio Eliezer Castillo Cabrera
- Oscar Danilo Mendoza Lanzas
- Hugo Ríos Castillo
- Alfonzo José Morazán Castillo
- Adolfo José Lozano
- Adolfo Ramón Lozano Rivas
- Orlando Francisco Madriz Contreras
- Paulino José Lozano Rivas
- Marcial Eduardo González Martínez
- José Moisés Jiménez Ferrufino
- Jorge Luis López Mendoza
- Alexander Antonio Cruz
- Everth Antonio Rivas Gomez
- Camelia Rafael Aráuz Aráuz
- Franklin Jerónimo Lampin López
- Sergio Gutiérrez Pavón
- Juan José González López
- Cesar Antonio Ruiz Méndez
- Julio Francisco Alvarado Chavala
- Lester Alexander Ramírez Martínez
- Harry Jonathan Valverde Ortiz
- Francisco Javier Hernández Velásquez
- José Bayardo Mendieta
- Franklin Ernesto Sequeira Galán
- Josué Santiago Rojas Álvarez
- Bismarck Antonio Navarro Gómez
- Miguel Ángel Sequeira Morales
- Bismarck José Contreras Herrera
- Nelson Ariel Mairena Castillo
- Jessy Geovany Morales Casco
- Gerald Marcelino Zelaya Hernández
- Deyling Alonzo Hernández González.
Adonis Mairena received a hero’s welcome in Jinotega.
#LoÚltimo Así recibieron al preso político Adonis Mairena en Jinotega. Uno de los excarcelados el día de hoy, día de las madres Nicaragüense. pic.twitter.com/oHh9depQzq
— Nicaragua Actual (@NicaraguaActual) May 30, 2019
Alfonso Morazán, a retired military man, was also excarcerated today. His son Yader Morazán stated that there is no family to greet him, “because all of his sons had to go into exile.”
Hoy día de las madres, excarcelaron a mi papá, el rehén Político y militar en retiro #AlfonsoMorazán, pero en casa no lo recibió ningún familiar, ya que todos sus hijos nos tuvimos que exiliar por razones obvias. Podremos abrazarlo, cuando #LiberemosNicaragua ! La lucha sigue 🇳🇮 pic.twitter.com/RNyzkwdtVk
— Yader Morazán (@YaderMorazan) May 30, 2019
Excarcerations do not equal freedom, as all of these prisoners continue under house arrest.