The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo authorized the political prisoners of El Chipote, captured in the context of the 2021 general elections, to hold a ninth period of visits with their families, after up to 46 days had elapsed since the last meeting allowed by the dictatorship.
During the visits, carried out between July 22 and 24, the relatives of the prisoners of conscience verified an improvement in the portions of food that their relatives receive, but they denounce that torture and cruel treatment continue, through isolation and incommunicado detention. and the lack of specialized medical attention.
Victoria Cárdenas, wife of political prisoner Juan Sebastián Chamorro, pointed out that they are concerned about the physical and mental health of the former presidential candidate, who continues in “subhuman conditions, without the minimum conditions for a person to be well.”
“We are concerned about the lack of specialized medical attention, the lack of communication with the people who are abroad. They do not allow calls, there are no letters with the children who are inside and outside the country. They do not have reading or writing material, they sleep in conditions that do not allow them to fall asleep; without pillows, without sheets, on a very worn mat and on a concrete bed, and they are not allowed to speak even with the person who is inside the cell, ”he denounced.
He pointed out that the prisoner of conscience also continues to be the victim of interrogations, now less frequently, despite the fact that he has already been condemned to thirteen years in prison by the judicial apparatus of the Ortega regime.
She added that both she and her daughter, who are out of the country due to persecution by the regime, have had 411 days without any communication with Chamorro, since the authorities of El Chipote do not authorize calls or letters. “My daughter’s concern is not seeing her father again,” she stressed.
Requisitions in the cells of Chipote
Mercedes Mendoza, sister of political prisoner Miguel Mendoza, also said that they are concerned about the journalist’s “precarious” condition, since “his diabetes, uric acid and hypertension problems persist and he has not been given specialized medical attention.”
“We are afraid for Miguel’s life because these illnesses, if there is no care, become more complex, more complicated. We fear that his health will deteriorate, “he said.
The sports journalist and chronicler, condemned to nine years in prison for alleged “conspiracy to undermine national integrity,” he told his relatives that he has been suffering from cramps for several days that go from his knee to his feet, which have not been treated either.
Mercedes pointed out that her brother, in addition to continuing to lose weight as a result of the quality of the food he receives, is now also the victim of searches in his cell.
“They search them inside the cells. They put the handcuffs on him, they make him stand with his head down and they begin to search everything, despite the fact that they do not receive regular family visits or packages. We think they mistrust themselves, their own people,” he pointed out.
Spoken portraits campaign led to changes
Ana Lucía Álvarez, sister of Tamara Dávila and niece of Ana Margarita Vijil, affirmed that her imprisoned relatives continue to be in a situation of “isolation and incommunicado detention, as part of a brutal policy that attempts to destabilize them, undermine their dignity and their emotional states.”
He stressed that thanks to the campaign of spoken word portraits that they launched at the beginning of July, they managed to increase the food rations received by political prisoners in El Chipote. However, he said he fears that this change they have achieved is only temporary.
Álvarez denounced that his sister “is still in an isolated cell, without taking her out to a patio to sunbathe, without receiving adequate and timely medical attention and without seeing her six-year-old daughter. It is unacceptable that he has a year of not seeing her mom, not even a call.”
He also highlighted the outrage that “more than 40 days have passed since the last visit” and that what is established in the Nicaraguan prison system continues to be violated, which is a maximum of 15 to 21 days for visits to prison centers.
“We spent more than 40 days without any communication. There is no clear definition, no clear scheduling of visits. There are people who called an hour or two hours in advance, that is, we didn’t know anything. They start calling people and tell them that they have to be in El Chipote in two hours,” he denounced.
He added that torture against prisoners even occurs prior to visits. In the case of Ana Margarita, she “was given her uniform at five in the morning and her visit was at three in the afternoon on Saturday. In other words, she spent several hours in total expectation after more than 40 days of isolation, incommunicado, which is unacceptable and it is clear that there is an intentional policy of damaging, injuring, and undermining. That’s called torture.”
Juan Lorenzo Holmann is interrogated every day
Chrystal Munguía, wife of Juan Lorenzo Holmann, general manager of the newspaper La Prensa, imprisoned in August 2021, explained that her husband has a “better countenance” because he receives a better portion of food and is in a larger cell, but He is still extremely thin, weighing about 150 pounds, has not received the attention of a specialist doctor since October 2021 and is subjected to daily interrogations.
“He told me that the nurses go through the cell, which is bolted and only has a small window. They look out the little window and ask how she is, but they don’t check on her. In October of last year, after he fainted in the ‘patio sol’, those from Legal Medicine arrived and issued a diagnosis. It was the only time we know he was seen by both specialists,” he stated.
Holmann has heart, blood pressure, vision and prostate problems. His family has repeatedly requested that the political prisoner receive care from the doctors he trusts, but the authorities continue without authorizing it.
Munguía rescued that, despite this condition of unjust imprisonment, Holmann shows a strong spirit and said that “he is in the center of the ring, not hanging between the ropes.”
Miguel Mora celebrates a month on hunger strike
The journalist and former candidate for the presidency, Miguel Mora, received a visit from his relatives on Saturday, July 23, after 46 days incommunicado. The founder of the television channel 100% Noticias, informed his relatives that he has been on a hunger strike for 30 days in the cells of El Chipote, demanding that he be allowed to see his son and have a Bible.
“He demands that they allow him to see his son Miguelito. The boy is suffering a lot from not seeing his father and has had a mood crisis, “Mora’s relatives told 100% Noticias.
The report states that the political prisoner continues to be interrogated and in these he has claimed the discrimination suffered by his son, because despite being 21 years old, he is not authorized to enter the visits because he is in a wheelchair.
Verónica Chávez, wife of Mora, told 100% Noticias that as a family they are concerned, since the political prisoner assured that he will not leave the strike until he is authorized to see his son and they fear that this will cause health problems.
The opponent has lost 30 pounds in all this year of imprisonment. His family affirms that in the last month, as a result of the strike to which he has been subjected to pressure for permission to visit his son, he lost another seven pounds.
“We ask that you put your hand on your heart and that you give us that visiting right for Miguelito,” said Chavez.
Lesther Alemán has tachycardia and leg problems
The health of political prisoner Lesther Alemán also continues to deteriorate. A source close to the student leader informed CONFIDENTIAL that, although the young man is spiritually strong, he returned to present reflux problems, tachycardia and discomfort in his leg still without a clear diagnosis and does not have an accurate treatment
He explained that Alemán receives a pill every day to control tachycardia crises and now they allow him to go out on the “patio sol” twice a week.
In addition, he indicated that the mother of the prisoner of conscience, Lesbia Alfaro, has expressed her concern about not having access to a clear medical diagnosis about the discomfort that the student leader presents in his leg.
Medardo Mairena confined in a punishment cell
Alfredo Mairena, brother of the peasant leader Medardo Mairena, confirmed through his social networks that they had a visit with his imprisoned relative, confirming that he is still “in inhuman conditions, in a punishment cell with little air circulation and totally incommunicado.”
He denounced that the political prisoner continues with ailments and fluid suppuration in one of his knees and has blood circulation problems.
“He is treated by a general practitioner, he does not receive specialized medical care,” Alfredo denounced in a message sent to CONFIDENTIAL.
He also explained that the visit with his relative lasted two hours, including the exhaustive search to which those authorized to enter are subjected. Medardo Mairena took advantage of this visit to ask for prayers for the freedom of the political prisoners and that of Nicaragua.
The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo keeps more than 190 people in prison, including former presidential candidates, priests, student leaders, businessmen, opponents, activists and human rights defenders. National and international human rights organizations have publicly demanded the immediate release of each of these citizens.
