The new administration of the newly elected president of the United States Donald Trump would be interested in approaching a Nicaraguan opposition that is cohesive among itself and with opponents from Cuba and Venezuela, and beyond the “mass deportations” of migrants promised by the Republican in his campaign, would promote immigration reforms that will guarantee asylum to truly politically persecuted people in their respective countries.
At least those were the main points addressed by the president-elect’s government transition team in its first contact with the Nicaraguan opposition, specifically with the Nicaraguan Freedom Foundation (Fundación Libertad).
The president of that organization and former political prisoner banished by the dictatorship, Félix Maradiaga, explained to Article 66 that representatives of the US president-elect’s work team contacted the Libertad Foundation to “open communication channels with the incoming government.”
Maradiaga specified that, although this first contact was “courtesy”, the representatives of the new republican administration, which will take office in February of next year, expressed interest in knowing the opinions of the opposition organization on the current political situation in Nicaragua. as well as other interests and concerns of Nicaraguan communities in diaspora and exile.
Likewise, Trump’s collaborators made “an invitation to try to seek more cohesion, not only among the Nicaraguan opposition, but also with other opposition groups in exile, with similar interests, particularly the Cuban and Venezuelan exile.”
In that sense, the Republicans also stated that they have been in contact with people who make up democratic opposition and political dissident groups in Venezuela and Cuba.
«One of the questions they asked us was about the levels of coordination that currently exist between the expressions of the opposition of our countries, so we explained the joint work efforts such as those we carry out through the World Liberty Congress and the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance,” said Maradiaga.
Immigration issue and support for Nicaragua are important
The president of the Libertad Foundation is optimistic that the “courtesy” call is a gesture that demonstrates the existence of a “genuine will on the part of the elected authorities to maintain close communication with dissident groups in exile.”
“I also believe that it is a sign that new forms of pressure are being sought that are more effective against dictatorships in Latin America,” says the former Nicaraguan political prisoner.
Likewise, in the conversation, the members of Trump’s team told the Libertad Foundation that, in fact, the new administration will make changes to the immigration rules but will seek support for those politically persecuted.
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«The immigration issue was part of the conversation, and although we did not go into details, it was clearly expressed to us that President Trump’s will is to reform the immigration system so that issues such as political asylum, for example, are administered in a manner more efficient and granted to those people who are effectively persecuted in their countries. A proactive attitude is perceived in relation to this issue,” the political scientist analyzed optimistically.
Trump administration meeting with opponents of all colors
Another aspect that was made known to the Libertad Foundation, according to the president of that organization, is that the Republican team is also seeking contact with representatives of other opposition organizations and a large meeting could soon be held with opposition delegates from all the countries of the world. where there is Nicaraguan exile like Costa Rica, the US and Europe.
«One of the agreements was to hold a meeting in the coming weeks with one or two of the people who could be part of the incoming administration on foreign policy and security issues for Latin America and some names were mentioned to us. The idea would be to exchange opinions with the different Nicaraguan opposition groups, not only in the United States but with delegates who could be in Costa Rica or Europe,” said the opposition leader.
We agreed to maintain contact and present to them in a more formal manner any input or opinion that is useful to inform the decision-making of the incoming authorities on Nicaragua. Finally, they told us that this team will also be contacting various similar organizations of pro-democracy groups, in order to receive recommendations.
Trump knows very well the crimes of dictator Ortega
For his part, the former political inmate and collegiate spokesperson for the Nicaraguan-Monteverde Democratic Concertation, Juan Sebastián Chamorro, recalled that the political and social crisis and the criminal repression carried out by the dictatorship, in 2018, occurred while Trump was exercising his first presidential term. Therefore, that administration knows Ortega’s crimes very well.
Chamorro indicated that many of the officials from the previous Republican administration will probably repeat their positions this time and are already known by the Nicaraguan opposition, which facilitates approaches to advocate for the struggle.
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The opposition leader and former presidential candidate acknowledged that Nicaragua does not occupy the first places on the US foreign policy agenda, however he trusted that “the case of Nicaragua will continue to be relevant, not only because of the issue of violation of fundamental rights, murders, exile, denationalization, political prisoners and lack of freedoms, but also because of the use, by the dictator Ortega, of migration as a political weapon and that is something that the “new administration has already taken notes.”
Chamorro indicated that the use of extra-regional migrants, particularly from Asia and Africa, has been noted in Washington and this is an element that makes Ortega enter this new administration “with swollen feet” since the immigration issue is a matter of security. national.
Likewise, Chamorro assured that the opposition will carry out all possible advocacy actions so that the issue of Nicaragua continues to be “of general interest” for the US Government, and that “the Trump administration pushes any type of action “what can be done to weaken Daniel Ortega’s dictatorship.”
