After more than 95 days without seeing him, Ana Chamorro de Holmann had the joy of meeting her son, the political prisoner Juan Lorenzo Holmann, general manager of the newspaper La Prensa. Doña Anita, 94, arrived at the facilities of the Directorate of Judicial Assistance known as “the new Chipote“, this Wednesday, November 17, when Holmann’s third visit took place, after more than 90 days of imprisonment.
Holmann is one of the 39 political prisoners of the Ortega Murillo regime, which unleashed a strong repressive wave starting in May of this year, arresting seven opposition presidential candidates, businessmen, civic leaders, human rights defenders, former diplomats and journalists, the majority accused of conspiracy and treason. Some are accused of money laundering, as is the case of Holmann, who was arbitrarily detained on August 14 – this Sunday he is in prison for 99 days – after the illegal raid of the newspaper La Prensa, a media critical of the regime that continues to occupy by the National Police.
In the interview, Doña Anita insists on the innocence of her son and the oldest newspaper in the country, which is part of her family patrimony and which has been repeatedly attacked by the Government, withholding the printing material on several occasions and finally occupying it, preventing thus the circulation of the only paper medium that remained in the country.
Chamorro demands adequate medical attention for his son, who has vision problems in one of his eyes and a heart condition that requires specialized examinations and evaluations, he also asks that family visits be more frequent, but above all he asks for the release of all prisoners politicians.
How did you feel after seeing your son Juan Lorenzo in jail?
Note that very well, because I longed for it so much that moment, that I did not cry or anything, because we hugged each other so effusively, like my youngest son who is him … He tells me that nothing happens to me because he wants to find me alive and then That is going to thank me, to take care of me, so that I am alive when he leaves.
This step that I took, to see my son after 95 days of being in prison, is very meaningful to me.
He is very happy that La Prensa digital is working and that everyone is listening to it, his eyes even shine when he talks about it.
How was the inbound logistics to be able to see you, did they requisition you?
You stop in one place, from there they put you in a bus, until we get to another environment, which is where he is. They searched my bra, the entire shoreline and even my pants, but with great respect, they explained to me that they were requirements and I don’t know what.
So there they sat us, at a table, and there was his wife Chrystal, him and me. We held hands and prayed to the Lord thanking him for being there all together and for the future that the Lord has in store for us.
How did you find Juan Lorenzo? How did you see it?
Imagine yourself, quite long hair, copious beard. I thanked God it’s okay. The encouragement was what I liked the most as it has it, of trusting in the Lord. He is with the strength that faith in the Lord gives and (says) that he is his strength, that was the first thing he told me.
He told me that every day they pray the rosary and they pray the rosary again in the afternoon. Now they changed his cell, because before he couldn’t walk because he was so small, they already have a toilet, which they didn’t have before.
He is not cold, but the elders who are with him (they do), who are Dr. Mauricio Díaz and (Francisco) Aguirre Sacasa. He says that he learns a lot from everyone, because they know the history of Nicaragua and the same about the peasant, Pedro (Mena), who has also learned from him.
Did the interrogations continue?
Yes, they continue, he says, but he tells them, ‘What am I going to know, tell me that you are the ones who know, who are abroad, I don’t know anything,’ he says.
Last time Chrystal, Juan Lorenzo’s wife, commented on a problem in one of his eyes and another heart condition that he had to take care of, how did he continue?
They took him to a doctor, but now they have not taken him again, because that needs follow-up. We are half stick, as they say. They have not followed up with him, they have not taken him back and that was the first visit for quite some time. It should be pointed out that visits (family) are not periodic and visits to the doctor, even less.
You listened to Daniel Ortega, when he directed his hate speech towards political prisoners. What did you think when you heard those words for prisoners of conscience, including your son, when you called them “sons of bitches”?
That was an insult that reflected on themselves, showing their education, their vulgarity. It is such an inappropriate thing for a head of state that everyone is scared of his vocabulary.
They called my eldest son who is blond, Yegua Chela at school, because he ran, he played basketball, baseball, Yegua Chela, they called him. So I said to him (to Juan Lorenzo): ‘But now we have changed, because now they are sons of bitches, I tell him (laughs). ‘Oh and how is that?’, (Juan Lorenzo answers). Eduardo already said, that he is the oldest, that he does not change, that he will always be a Mare, that this is very offensive, what they told us about the mothers, I told him.
He started laughing because (I told him): ‘What do you prefer?’ (Laughs)
And what do you think about these accusations made against La Prensa and Juan Lorenzo?
Imagine, when? If we have been the most honest, all my life, my dad … Completely false, there was never money laundering.
How did you say goodbye to your son? Do you hope to see him again in jail or at liberty?
I told him that I thank you for the effort you are making for Nicaragua, that we were going to see each other in free Nicaragua.
Doña Anita, your family has received several strong blows in your life, the murder of your brother in 1978, the death of Don Jaime a few months ago, the occupation of the newspaper La Prensa, the imprisonment of Juan Lorenzo, how do you resist in these difficult moments?
I’m not telling you it’s custom, but strength comes from the Lord, from God, because we all have faith that this is temporary and since we have not done anything wrong, it also gives us that strength to defend our rights.
What would you say to Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, who ordered the closure of La Prensa and the imprisonment of their son?
My demand is that all prisoners be released, so that we are all free. And what blame are they going to put on my son, if he is not to blame? And to La Prensa that they return it, because that is an honest, honest work.
Watch the video version of this interview on the Esta Semana program, this Sunday, November 21 through our video channel on YouTube.
