Relatives of the Nicaraguan sociologist and economist Oscar Rene Vargas They are concerned about the deterioration in the state of health of the hostage of the Ortega dictatorship. His relatives point out that he “requires good medical care to stay alive.”
Vargas, 77, has heart problems and a pacemaker was placed just seven months ago. The critic of the dictatorship was captured “with luxury of violence and aggressiveness” on November 22.
According to the digital medium Nicaragua Investigatesthe opponent remains locked up in one of the punishment cells of the Evaristo Vásquez Police Complex, known as “El Nuevo Chipote” and in view of this situation, his relatives have urgently requested “to continue with the petitions to the Red Cross and Amnesty International and to all human rights defense organizations for the defense of Oscar René’s health».
Related news: Police detain sociologist Óscar René Vargas who had returned from exile
“He is an older adult with arterial hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, for which he has a pacemaker, pulmonary fibrosis after COVID-19, he needs to have his chest X-ray done, osteoarthritis in the spine with chronic pain, he needs his medicine and a place that is humanely adequate to sleep, osteoarthritis of both knees, he needs to walk and stretch his legs, his height is large, glaucoma in both eyes and diabetes,” a sister of the economist told the media.
He stressed that due to the complex health problems of Óscar René Vargas it is “essential that he receives sun and is checked by a doctor.”
Likewise, his relatives request the judicial authorities to “allow him a thick mattress and a blanket for the intense cold that exists in El Chipote.”
In addition, they appeal to article 97 of Nicaraguan Penal Code, in which it is detailed that those who “have reached the age of seventy or meet it during the execution of the sentence may obtain the granting of probation”. In that same numeral, it is also stated that “probation will proceed when, according to a forensic medical report, they are very seriously ill, with incurable and terminal conditions.”
The health of Óscar René Vargas is complex and for this reason, like his advanced age, the Law grants him the regime of “probation”, for which his relatives ask that he be allowed to return home where they can provide him with the “human conditions for living”.
The Nicaraguan justice fabricated three crimes against the sociologist, the Prosecutor’s Office accuses him of alleged conspiracy to undermine national integrity, provocation to commit rebellion and propagation of false news.
The arrest against the critic of the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship occurred after his return from Costa Rica, a country where he was granted asylum, due to the constant threats against him.
The opponent only gave interviews by telephone and without exposing himself to the cameras as a security measure to avoid being found by the Ortega-Murillo regime.
The opponent joins the list of political prisoners in Nicaragua, which, according to data from human rights organizations, is reaching more than 230 hostages of conscience, accused of common crimes or “treason against the homeland.”
