The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) condemned the death of the former guerrilla, retired brigadier general and political prisoner of the Ortega regime, Hugo Torres Jimenezthis Saturday, February 12, while the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), lamented the death and recalled that for months he was subjected “to a criminal process without guarantees.”
Those were the first international reactions to the death in captivity of General Hugo Torres, one of the political prisoners of the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. The OAS demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners as a “fundamental step towards the redemocratization of the country,” through a statement on its official Twitter account.
“It considers the fact of keeping political prisoners, with terminal illnesses without necessary medical assistance, to be abominable, violating their fundamental rights,” the OAS indicated.
Statement from the General Secretariat of the @OEA_oficial on the death of political prisoners in #Nicaraguahttps://t.co/Bfi8PtEdYj pic.twitter.com/1lxAXLPgjB
— Luis Almagro (@Almagro_OEA2015) February 12, 2022
On the other hand, OHCHR recalled that since the arrest in July of last year, the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial had been violated in the case of Torres and more than 40 people arrested last year, referring to the repressive scale of the Ortega’s regime that occurred in the months prior to last year’s voting.
(1/2) #Nicaragua @OHCHR regrets the death of Hugo Torres and expresses its solidarity with his relatives. For months he was deprived of liberty in inhuman conditions and subjected to criminal proceedings without guarantees.
— OHCHR (@OHCHR) February 12, 2022
Costa Rica is also pronounced
The government of Costa Rica, through its Foreign Minister Rodolfo Solano Quirós, urged Nicaragua to give guarantees of humanitarian attention to political prisoners and demanded the immediate release of all and the restitution of their full rights, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Affairs and Worship of that country.
“I reiterate the concern caused by the state of health of women and men, older adults and young people, who must have timely medical attention,” said Solano Quirós, who expressed solidarity with Torres’ relatives, urged Nicaragua to guarantee the due process and that allows the access of the OHCHR.
The last days of General Torres were surrounded by a lot of secrecy. The Public Ministry reported the death on Saturday afternoon, but did not determine the causes of death nor did it recognize the precarious conditions, systematic torture, isolation and food restrictions, which relatives of political prisoners imprisoned in the Directorate of Aid have denounced. Judicial, known as the “Chipote”, where the retired soldier, a well-known hero of the fight against Somoza and an opponent of Ortega for decades, was located.
In a statement, the opposition Blue and White National Unity (UNAB) pointed to the “Ortega-Murillo dictatorship” as being “solely responsible for what happened with Hugo Torres.” Both the Prosecutor’s Office and the Police did not report the deterioration of the political prisoner’s health, that the regime kept him imprisoned for almost six months, knowing of his chronic suffering and the warning of family members who feared that his health condition would worsen due to prison conditions.
Bishop Baéz: “Wound to the whole society”
The auxiliary bishop of Managua, Monsignor Silvio José Báez, exiled since 2019 due to persecution and threats from Ortega fans, joined the call for freedom for all prisoners of conscience and expressed his condolences to the Torres family.
“The death of Hugo Torres, a political prisoner of the Nicaraguan dictatorship, is a cause of pain and indignation. Whenever a human being dies in these conditions, in a certain way the whole society is wounded. My heartfelt condolences to his family. Freedom for all political prisoners!” he expressed in a tweet.
The death of Hugo Torres, a political prisoner of the Nicaraguan dictatorship, is a cause of pain and indignation. Whenever a human being dies in these conditions, in a certain way the whole society is wounded. My heartfelt condolences to his family. Freedom for all political prisoners!
– Silvio José Báez (@silviojbaez) February 12, 2022
At press time, national and international reactions continued. The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) International demanded justice and freedom for the political prisoners in the country, after assuring that they see with “maximum concern what happened to Hugo Torres.”
The ex-guerrilla’s family said in a statement that by Torres’ will they will not celebrate funeral honors or public ceremonies and that they will release more details related to his death later.
