As a result of the political persecution, the siege and the economic crisis in Nicaragua, at least 34 members of the Nicaraguan University Alliance (STILL) have been forced to leave the country in search of protecting their lives and a better future.
A source from the political group, who asked for discretion with his identity, detailed to Article 66 that of its members who have chosen to go into exile or migrate to another country, 12 are women and 22 are men, ranging between 20 and 35 years of age.
“Most of them worked in departmental and municipal coordination in their respective localities, all of them young leaders, many of them well-known, all of them experienced harassment, threats, persecution or imprisonment for 1 or 2 days, added to the economic crisis, they made the decision to leave the country,” the source said.
Related news: “Hope without Borders”, the campaign that seeks to make visible the migration of young Nicaraguans
He stressed that the youth of AUN continue their political activism from the country where they now reside. “They have remained actively speaking for the organization, being present in the media and campaigns,” she pointed out.
The source also revealed that the migration of young opponents began between May and June 2021, in that period two of its members were forced to leave the country, however after the arbitrary capture of their leaders Lesther Alemán and Max Jerez, the Last July 5, 2021, more young people made the decision to flee Nicaragua.
Persecution and lack of opportunities force young people to leave Nicaragua
Josh Mendozaa member of AUN and the organization’s liaison in Costa Rica, told Article 66 that it has been “very difficult” to leave her country, however, she was forced to migrate to Costa Rican territory due to the sociopolitical and economic situation that prevails in Nicaragua.
“The truth is that I had to leave my country because of the sociopolitical and economic situation, I couldn’t find a job anywhere and I still feared a lot for my safety, since I was under siege,” said Mendoza, who left Nicaragua on August 8, 2022.
Likewise, the young opponent explained that before deciding to migrate to Costa Rica, she was in her fourth year of Social Work at the Juan Pablo II University and “before leaving the country, I went to the Foreign Ministry to apostille my notes with the goal of continuing my career abroad, but they didn’t want to do that procedure for me. The university where I studied belongs to the Catholic Church and you already know the problems that the government has against the Church and they gave me many excuses».
She added that “even with all these obstacles, nothing is going to stop me from staying organized because there is still hope without borders.”
Jerry Urbina24, a member of AUN, pointed out that in January of this year he made the forced decision to migrate to the United States, due to the persecution, siege and intimidation he suffered in Nicaragua due to his political position.
“My participation in some spaces where we demanded freedom, democracy and justice earned me various threats and harassment by the Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo regime,” he assured.
In addition, he maintained that “like many young people and thousands of other young people, I embarked on a path leaving behind my homeland, my family, my dreams and part of my own being, (…) because we know that opportunities in Nicaragua are closed to majority of young people, because Nicaragua has become a country in which opportunities are given only to those who are part of the regime, those who are in favor of the regime, unfortunately in Nicaragua for young people who yearn for freedom and who we want a country in equality, the opportunities are minimal».
“It is worrying to see the situation in our country, it is worrying to see that we, the future, have to get out of there,” he lamented.
Campaign on youth migration
Faced with the exodus of young Nicaraguans who are forced to leave the country due to threats, political persecution and lack of opportunities, the Nicaraguan University Alliance (STILL) has launched the campaign “Hope Without Borders” with the purpose of making youth migration visible.
In a statement, the opposition organization said that in recent months the number of young people leaving the country has increased. Migration continues “fracturing thousands of Nicaraguan families,” he stressed.
“The pain that means saying goodbye to a mother, brother or friend, also becomes the hope of a dignified life, goals fulfilled and dreams achieved,” AUN stressed.
