One month after release of 135 Nicaraguans considered political prisoners for criticizing the actions of Daniel Ortega’s government against the population and the Catholic Church, the Voice of America He spoke with Professor Francisco Arteaga, whose face went viral when he shouted “long live free Nicaragua” on board the bus that transported him, along with dozens of the exiled, upon their arrival to Guatemala, the country that welcomed them.
Arteaga assured that the emotion of feeling free from prison and the dream that his country could emerge from authoritarianism motivated him to shout that cry.
“It was time to express that desire for freedom that we had, and that, even so, we continue forward in this fight, to always think about a free Nicaragua, willing to continue in this fight and with the hope that one day it will emerge in Nicaragua. democracy and freedom of worship,” he assured.
Francisco is a renowned professor from Totogalpa and describes himself as a “layman committed to the Catholic Church.” He said that his capture was derived from messages he published on social networks, against the repression of the Catholic Church: “it bothered me to be in a church where there were police outside, which was a sign that we could not go out in a procession, we could not express our worship freely, not only for the Catholic Church, but also for the evangelical churches, which were prohibited from their activities.”
“I can’t go back to Nicaragua”
On September 10, five days after the release, the Supreme Court of Nicaragua issued a resolution ordering the loss of nationality to the 135 Nicaraguans sent to Guatemala and ordered the confiscation of their assets.
Francisco explains that, without nationality, he also lost his retirement process and now, he is thinking about looking for a job to survive.
“We have no nationality, our civil records were erased, in my case, my retirement process has been erased. For the moment what we are going to do is look for how to work to survive, and see how we maintain the fight from the outside also to continue denouncing the arbitrariness against the church, the violation of human rights,” he said.
The 135 Nicaraguans are still in Guatemalabut with the support of the United Nations Refugee Agency -UNHCR-, the International Organization for Migration -IOM-, the organization Refugio de la Niñez, with the support of the governments of Guatemala and the United States, they are advancing in the resettlement processes, with the option of requesting refuge in Guatemala and the United States, as well as in other countries, to start a new life.
However, even from afar, Professor Arteaga dreams of freedom and democracy being a reality in his homeland: “We believe that Nicaraguans can create a different homeland, a free homeland, where there is freedom of thought, freedom of belief, and I believe that we Nicaraguans have the capacity and the faith that we can do it.”
In an interview with Voice of AmericaLindsay Jenkins, Advisor to the United States Department of State, Office of Population, Refugees and Migration, reiterated that the United States is guaranteeing shelter, food and medical and psychological care for those released from prison, as well as the refugee application process. that each one is carrying out, without giving details of the countries where they seek to resettle, for the safety of those involved.
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