The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo unleashed a wave of repression against social activists, journalists and opponents of Bluefields, in the South Caribbean of Nicaragua, after stickers were clandestinely placed on the streets of that municipality in support of Monsignor Rolando Álvarezbishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa, who has been under house arrest since last August 19.
“Bluefields supports Monsignor Rolando Álvarez in prayer,” reads the stickers, illustrated with a photo of Monsignor Álvarez, which were pasted on September 4 on poles and traffic signs in the streets of that municipality.
The citizen observatory Urnas Abiertas published this Monday, September 12, an alert about “the worsening of political violence faced by the population of Bluefields”and highlighted that the Police, in alliance with party structures of the Sandinista Front, “increased the persecution against opponents”.
Ivania Álvarez, director of citizen networks at Urnas Abiertas, explained that between September 6 and 11, the cases of ten people were registered, who were victims of the persecution of the Ortega-Murillo regime in Bluefields. Some of the harassed they had to leave the municipality to “avoid possible arrest or the use of physical violence by the Police.”
“We registered at least ten people, including these three journalists, who have suffered harassment and persecution. In three of the cases they were raids with canine technique. People relate this increase in persecution to the fact that ballot papers were placed in that municipality in support of Monsignor Rolando Álvarez,” Álvarez said.
“In the case of the people whose homes were raided, we had information that first they were besieged all day and that later another patrol arrived and then they entered the home,” he explained.
“The people they were looking for were not there, they managed to get out, but they told their relatives that they were there that these people were being investigated, but they did not leave them any papers,” he added.
“I left my house to avoid possible arrest”
One of the activists whose home was raided by the Police told CONFIDENTIAL that upon learning of the police presence, he had to leave his home and look for a safe place to avoid possible arrest.
“From Monday to Thursday of last week, the siege was constant. Police patrols stationed themselves outside, took photographs, talked with people who live nearby and are related to them (Sandinistas), and on Friday, September 9, at about two in the afternoon, they surrounded the house and I had to leave in the morning. back to avoid possible arrest”, described the opponent who requested to omit his name.
He explained that at least ten police officers and a dog entered, another ten riot officers remained surrounding the front of the property, and they did not present any judicial order, although they did ask one of his relatives about him.
“They checked everything quickly. The raid lasted about ten minutes. They didn’t take anything, they just went in, opened the doors of the rooms and didn’t go to the kitchen or the patio. They only took a photo of the house’s energy meter, asking the person if the property belonged to her, and a photo of a Nicaraguan flag that is next to an altar in the house. My family member asked them what the raid was due to, but they did not answer him, and then they just left, got on the three patrol cars in which they arrived and left, ”he indicated.
Álvarez said that he highlighted that the siege against these people can be considered “permanent” because to date it continues outside their homes, with the harassment of people related to the Government who constantly monitor and with the constant circulation of police patrols.
