The “kind” treatment that the Daniel Ortega regime Police gave to the relatives of the political prisoners during the visit made on December 7 and 8 It surprised all of them, accustomed to the hostile treatment they have received since their relatives were imprisoned in the Directorate of Judicial Assistance, known as El Chipote. However, they hope that from now on good treatment will be “the norm and not an exception”.
Verónica Chávez, wife of the owner of 100% Noticias and political prisoner, Miguel Mora, finds it difficult to find the exact words to describe the emotion she felt during the family visit, which she attended along with Mora’s mother, Auxiliadora Barberena; and his son Miguelito Mora, who has a disabling condition.
“Miguelito was happy, there were kisses, hugs, he sang praises, he didn’t let go for a single minute. He wanted to just talk to him. When we (Chávez and Barberena) were talking with Miguel, he (Miguelito) said: ‘to me, to me, me’. Like who says don’t talk, I want to talk,” Chávez said.
Although Chávez points out that the meeting was “beautiful”, he reflects that “they should never have been separated” and hopes that this will be a Christmas without political prisoners.
“We continue to demand Miguel’s freedom. He should never have been apart from his son. Miguelito needs it so much, and we ask and demand that this Christmas be a Christmas without political prisoners. They are innocent and we hope that this Christmas all the political prisoners can be free,” Chávez stressed.
The Ortega regime allowed the twelfth round of visits to El Chipote political prisoners, after more than 550 days in prison. For the first time, after a year and a half in prison, the minor children and grandchildren of the relatives of the prisoners of conscience were able to visit them.
The relatives received respectful treatment from the police, who suspended the abusive searches used on the last visit, when they forced them to undress. The visit lasted four hours, they were asked to bring clothes for their relatives, and they were allowed to share food.
Children are growing up without their parents
Alfredo Mairena, brother of the peasant leader and current political prisoner, Medardo Mairena, recounted that the reunion between the prisoner of conscience and his little daughter was “a situation of many mixed feelings, emotion, joy and at the same time sadness” for not know when they will see each other again.
Mairena is concerned that “the girl is growing up without seeing that father figure”, despite the fact that her brother “is innocent” and “is locked up there by the dictatorship and we all know that he is serving a sentence for a crime that is not has committed,” he said.
The brother of the prisoner of conscience also pointed out that the family visit “is a right that they have and that the dictatorship has violated them”, for which he appreciated that in Nicaragua “even a criminal prisoner can have more rights than my brother and any other political prisoner”.
César Dubois, husband of the president of the Unión Democrática Renovadora (Unamos) and political prisoner, Suyen Barahona, explained that his son is out of the country, so Suyen had to settle for seeing a photograph. Unfortunately the regime did not allow him to keep it.
“Our son always asks about her. Where is her mom? Why doesn’t she come from her? What happened to her? It is a terrible torture for both the boy and Suyen. Both have the right to have a communication, that is governed both by the laws of Nicaragua and by the international conventions that Nicaragua has in the field of human rights,” claimed Dubois.
Dubois also emphasized his demand for the release of Suyen and the 235 political prisoners in Nicaragua. But while that happens, “that their rights be respected.” human rights” and “we hope that the friendly treatment that occurred on this last visit is the norm and not the exception, that we can have that slightly calmer environment on subsequent visits,” he stressed.
They hope to visit them for Christmas
Margin Pozo, wife of the sports writer and current political prisoner, Miguel Mendoza, recounts that for her daughter Alejandra, having been able to see and hug her father was like giving her breath back and she is currently waiting for the visit to be repeated for the festivities of Christmas and New Year.
“This separation has caused her a lot of damage,” Pozo explained. All the letters, drawings and videos that she has shared on her father’s networks, “have been messages that have come from her soul” and she wants to express them that way. “Alejandra really needed that hug from her father,” he stressed.
Pozo recounts that in this year and a half that the sportswriter has been locked up, Alejandra has gone through anxiety attacks and has become physically ill. Sometimes she “wondered if Miguel was really alive because she hadn’t seen him and she didn’t have that proof of life,” she said.
After seeing her father, Alejandra “returned home crying”, but she saw on the news that the family visit would be repeated for the Christmas and New Year holidays and “she is very excited” waiting for that moment. “Hopefully what was announced is fulfilled and that children can share with their parents because it is a right and this separation has caused a lot of physical and emotional damage,” concluded Pozo.
Similarly, Fernanda Guevara, wife of the lawyer and political prisoner, Róger Reyes, maintains the hope that “the right to family visits will continue to be respected.” This situation “should never have happened, having waited so long for Róger to see his daughters and the girls to see him. I hope this is an act of wanting to start doing things right ”, she concluded.
The visits will continue, according to the Police, during the Christmas and New Year festivities, although the solitary confinement regime against several political prisoners is maintained.
