The Nicaraguan University Alliance (AUN) denounced the kidnapping of two of its members, Mildred Rayo and Miguel Flores, by the Nicaraguan Army.
According to AUN, the young people were heading towards Managua and were detained for a search, at 6:30 am on Tuesday, November 1, near the Sapoá River, in Cárdenas, Rivas.
Around 9:30 am they communicated for the last time with Flores, who assured them that they were being transferred to a military facility, without providing further details.
The organization explained that, through the geolocation of Rayo’s cell phone, they determined that both young people are being held in an Army property, located in Las Colinas, in Managua.
“This blow is a reflection of the fear that the dictatorship has of an organized youth convinced of a fair and civic struggle. This persecution is not only against our organization, but against all of Nicaragua,” they point out in the statement. In addition, they demand that the whereabouts of the members of AUN be reported, that their integrity be respected and that they be released.
#Release | Sandinista Army kidnaps two members of our organization, while they were moving from Rivas to Managua. Until now, his whereabouts are unknown. https://t.co/nBJeTPFTQ4
– AUN (@AUNNicaragua) November 2, 2022
Lesther Aleman and Max Jerez were the first members of this youth organization to be arrested by the Ortega regime. Both young people have been in prison since 2021, along with twenty political prisoners, sentenced in the Judicial Assistance Directorate (DAJ), El Chipote, to between seven and thirteen years in prison for crimes of “conspiracy” and “propagation of fake news”.
Almost 24 hours after the arrest of Rayo and Flores, the Army has still not ruled on the case.
AUN is part of the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy, who represented the opposition in the two dialogue attempts that took place in 2018 and 2019 with Daniel Ortega and his officials. Since 2021, like the rest of the organizations, they have suffered political persecution for opposing the Government.
