The students and members of the Nicaraguan University Alliance (AUN), Lesther Alemán and Max Jérez, served one year of arbitrary imprisonment in the cells of El Chipote, after being detained by the Ortega Police on July 5, 2021, accused of “ being leaders of the seizure and destruction” of university campuses during the protests against the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo in 2018.
During an interview on the show Tonight, Enrique Cuadra, a member of AUN, denounced the subhuman conditions in which they remain detained and warned that both have suffered a significant deterioration in their physical health. “We have called on the international community so that they can verify the health status of all the people who are detained.”
Cuadra also referred to the case of the opposition leader from Masaya and member of the Civic Alliance, Yubrank Suazo, imprisoned for the second time by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, on May 18.
What information do you have about the condition of Lesther Alemán and Max Jérez in El Chipote?
It has been a year since the arbitrary and illegal arrest of Lesther Alemán and Max Jerez, a year in which their human rights have been violated for 365 days, in which the interrogations have not yielded; where Lesther unfortunately finds himself with a condition that until today there is no accurate diagnosis. He has had problems with his leg, then migraine problems, later a pressure problem, and we don’t know, and we don’t have an accurate diagnosis. Neither his family nor his lawyer have had access to what Lesther’s condition is.
He and Max have lost a lot of weight and have shown, despite the current prison conditions, a lot of resistance. They remain hopeful, despite the cruel and inhumane conditions in which the dictatorship keeps them isolated, without access to the sun. They remain strong, and always send the Nicaraguan people all the positive energy and messages of hope.
What worries you most about Lesther and Max’s condition?
It is the uncertainty, the fact of not knowing how they are. And the case of Lesther is that he is receiving treatment, but we don’t know what they are treating him for, why they are treating him. That is why we have called for organizations of the international community, such as the Red Cross, or experts from the United Nations, to have access to El Chipote and to verify the health status of all the people who are detained, and thus we have a reliable source, to really know how they are, what their real health condition is.
The dictatorship, when showing Félix Maradiaga, they thought they were going to maintain the idea that everything was fine, but Félix’s physical condition is really cruel. What they do is inhumane. And I think that the dictatorship has once again made a mistake by wanting to show a false truth, where the wear and tear that political prisoners have is clearly visible.
On May 18 of this year, they also captured the opposition leader of AUN, Yubrank Suazo. Do you have information on his whereabouts and his condition?
Since Yubrank’s capture, neither his relatives, much less his lawyer, have had access to see him. We recently had a communication in which the Cenidh informed Yubrank of the change in regime. He was in El Chipote, but for no reason, without any notification, he was transferred to La Modelo, and so far they have not allowed the family to bring in Yubrank’s medicine, they do not even give him liquid, as in other cases, with other prisoners do allow access to at least water, Yubrank has not been allowed.
And we are in constant demand that they let Yubrank see, and that they let him go free. Lester, Yubrank, Max, all the detainees are innocent and there is no real reason to keep them detained. They are innocent, the public knows it, even the regime itself knows of the innocence of all of them.
Is there anything that they are doing or can do, from AUN, from the different civic movements, to pressure and demand the release of all political prisoners?
As AUN, we maintain a constant campaign for the release of all detainees. It is a daily and sustained campaign from day one, and obviously we occupy advocacy spaces. I had the opportunity to participate in a forum parallel to the Summit of the Americas, and I believe that a great job has been done to ask other countries and nations to press on this issue of political prisoners.
I believe that there is a unified message around this issue, sooner or later the regime is going to have to talk about it. And we are moving our voices, occupying the spaces that are necessary, until we achieve their freedom, and we will continue to do so, because the commitment is with them, but it is also with Nicaragua. We are not going to leave or desist in this process.
The regime’s repression imposed a state of terror and persecution against critical voices. Where are the voices and demands of students and youth sectors today?
The demands are still there. The demands are in the resistance of each Nicaraguan citizen. Today, despite the fact that citizens are not seen in the streets, marching; the population knows, there is resentment at everything that the Daniel Ortega regime has done since April 2018. There is clear discontent among the citizens and the population does not feel comfortable.
The demands are there, the leaders, some are unfortunately detained, others are in exile; but, the demands and requirements are with each detainee; the demands and demands are with each person who goes into exile, with each person who resists in Nicaragua, and who has their principles and values, but above all who have their loyalty to the determination to fight for freedom, for justice and for the democracy of the Nicaraguan people.
So what options do the youth of Nicaragua have today in the face of the police state, in the face of repression and in the face of the fact that they are deprived of the very right to be able to study at the university that they want?
The dictatorship is forcing the youth in Nicaragua into forced exile or into indifference, that is the commitment of the Daniel Ortega regime, but the youth in Nicaragua have proven capable of circumventing the regime, and we are doing so. They think they’re in control, but all they’re doing is putting a pot on the stove. But, we know that sooner or later it will explode.
We made a decision in April 2018 that we had to change the course of the country, that the system had to be changed, and that will continue to be our commitment and we will continue working and fighting until we achieve it.
