US Leaves 39 Nicaraguan ex-Political Prisoners in Limbo
after denying their asylum applications
Some were denied because the Ortega regime had filed bogus charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. Others were deemed unconvincing in their interviews. Several are appealing.
HAVANA TIMES – At least 39 of the 135 Nicaraguan political prisoners who were released and banished to Guatemala on September 5, 2024, were rejected by the US government’s Safe Mobility Initiative. This situation leaves them in “immigration limbo,” with the “urgent need” to find alternatives for establishing themselves permanently.
The principal causes for their rejection, despite the fact that their release from prison and temporary relocation in Guatemala were negotiated by the United States, were based on the “fabricated crimes” they were accused of by the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. Damaris Rostran, a member of the Nicaraguan diaspora, offered some details of their situation during an interview with Confidencial.
Among those refused entry are people who were arbitrarily charged and tried for drug trafficking and money laundering. Such crimes are considered “inadmissible” by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
To Rostran, it’s “super concerning” that the USCIS officials took into consideration the accusations made by the dictatorship, since it’s widely known that their judicial proceedings in political cases lack “legality and legitimacy.”
Another cause for denying entry to the released Nicaraguans was the alleged “lack of credibility” of their testimonies. Rostran attributes this situation to the fact that the interviews were held in English, without the exiles being offered any previous counseling, at a time when they were still suffering from the stress of months or years spent in jail.
“The language barrier was key. The asylum officials the US government sent didn’t speak Spanish, but had interpreters who weren’t understanding exactly what our Nicaraguan sisters and brothers were saying. So, a lot of the correct information was lost in translation,” Damaris Rostran emphasized.
Requesting a case-by-case review
In order to address this situation, Rostran noted, they’re reviewing every case with a legal team and with human rights organizations originally from Nicaragua, with the objective of demonstrating the innocence of these people and requesting a case review of the US government.
“The first thing being done is to review the letter they’re given,” commented the Nicaraguan activist, after which the lawyers will duly build their cases and finally conduct a preliminary interview with every one of those affected.
Those refused by the Safe Mobility Initiative have a period of 90 days from the date of their notification to submit their case to the US government for an administrative review.
The response “doesn’t depend on the lawyers, nor on us (the diaspora), but hinges basically on the case we’re able to build. That’s why the interview is so important, and that they’re ready to explain exactly how these charges were illegally imposed on them,” Rostran explained.
Alternatives for those rejected
Meanwhile, those affected, along with the Nicaraguan diaspora, are actively seeking other alternatives with the governments of Guatemala, Canada, and Spain, who have shown interest in supporting the struggle for democratization in Nicaragua.
The government of Spain has stated that the 135 released political prisoners who were banished to Guatemala can opt for Spanish nationality, as other Nicaraguans stripped of their nationality have done. However, the process of nationalization takes time, and not all of the released prisoners have begun it.
Also, “the government of Guatemala created a mechanism for aid, so we’re looking at different ways of assuring the stability of the families, and all of those who are in this unfortunate situation right now,” Rostran added.
First published in Spanish by Confidencial and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.