the political prisoner Edward Footman, Whom her relatives call “the fierce wolf”, originally from the Las Cuatro Esquinas neighborhood, in Masaya, has been imprisoned for three years in the Jorge Navarro Penitentiary System, known as “La Modelo”, in Tipitapa.
The opponent was arrested on March 14, 2019 in the El Ostional community, in the department of Rivas. The police presented the hostage of conscience a day after his arrest, pointing him out as a drug trafficker. According to sources, the prisoner of the dictatorship was trying to go into exile in Costa Rica due to blind spots.
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Lacayo is serving a 15-year prison sentence, imposed by the Ortega judge Rosa Aracely Rubí Guerrero for the alleged crimes of organized crime and illegal drug transportation, accusations that, according to the defense, could never be proven.
Karen Lacayo, the sister of the 48-year-old “monimboseño” -completed on the 12th of this month-, told Article 66 that “it is unfortunate” that to date justice has not been done for the detention considered illegal and arbitrary.
“These three years have been of anguish, of concern, of aggression by the Daniel Ortega regime, which forced me to go into exile in the United States so as not to be another political prisoner,” he said.
She also stated that she felt “disappointed” because «Currently, only 42 political prisoners in ties are being discussed, including presidential candidates —of the 2021 elections—».
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“As relatives we feel disappointed because all our political prisoner brothers are going to serve three years, others have been imprisoned since before 2018, and they are no longer mentioned or asked for their freedom, only the freedom of a few is demanded,” Lacayo stressed. .
In addition, he claimed that in the last session of the United Nations Organization (UN), the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, only referred to the current political prisoners, captured between May and November 2021.
«There are not only 42 political prisoners, but more than 170; that is unfair because all our brothers truly fought for the freedom of Nicaragua, but sadly only the candidates are being considered, as if they were a priority. All prisoners must be free because they are innocent,” he added.
The also former president of the Association of Relatives of Political Prisoners (AFPP) recalled that the relatives of the detainees have also suffered attacks by the Police and paramilitaries for demanding freedom.
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“We demand that the international community be more forceful, that they not be soft and that Daniel Ortega not be given any kind of consideration because nobody considers our prisoners, many are dying inside the jails. It is necessary that the dictator’s pocket continue to be touched, “demanded the opponent.
Despite being locked up, Lacayo’s relatives affirm that they have now seen him in better health and cruel and inhuman treatment has decreased. “According to what they have informed us, they are already giving them the medicines that my brother must take. God allow him soon he will be free and healthy », he declared.
