During the April 2018 rebellion, the pastoral and humanitarian work of Father Edwin Roman was exemplary.  This parish priest from the San Miguel church in Masaya has been active in the liberation of the political prisoners, medical attention for the wounded and accompanying the family members of those killed.

The recent resolution of the Organization of American States (OAS), which gives the government of Daniel Ortega a 75-day period to address Nicaragua’s sociopolitical crisis, “was a resounding success” and shows that for Ortega “the diplomatic options are closing,” said Juan Sebastian Chamorro, representative of the Civic Alliance.

In Nicaragua, three women have been outstanding defenders of the land: Dolene Miller, Elba Rivera and Francisca Ramirez. They’ve put themselves in the forefront of defending the land owned by farmers, Afro-Nicaraguans and indigenous peoples. These are their stories:

Paolo Abrao lamented the persistence of “the atmosphere of repression and intimidation” in Nicaragua and said that the release of political prisoners was “just a first step” in the agenda necessary for the reconstruction of the country’s freedoms: the right to mobilize, to meeting, freedom of expression and press…

Prior to April 18, 2018, she was “a student, a daughter, working full time and attending the university at night. I was just one more student and citizen.” Like almost all of us. When the April Rebellion broke out, she found it impossible not to get involved.

“It is a very hard blow because for a person like me, who has given so much for what at one time was joy. In 1979 we said that we were entering freedom because we had just overthrown a military dictatorship. And, now, 40 years later I find out that history repeats itself…

Amaya Coppens, a medical student from the UNAN Leon, was abducted on September 10, 2018, with a group of students while they were peacefully protesting. She was one of those released on June 11, 2019, 245 days later.