Thirteen Political Prisoners Implore Nicaraguans: “Don’t Abandon the Struggle!”
By Martha Vasquez Larios (La Prensa)
HAVANA TIMES – On Tuesday, November 26, the thirteen latest political prisoners of the Ortega regime, all members of the Blue and White National Unity (UNAB), sent a message to Nicaraguans, “not to abandon the struggle, and to continue in the streets” in opposition to the dictatorial Ortega-Murillo regime.
The message of struggle was transmitted via their parents, who visited them for the second time on Monday morning, November 25, at the El Chipote jail. The imprisoned activists were jailed on November 14, 2019, for taking water and provisions to the family members of other political prisoners who had been maintaining a hunger strike in the San Miguel Archangel Church in Masaya, in demand of liberty for their children.
Maria Aviles, mother of Wendy Juarez, who vomited blood in the courtroom on November 18, stated that her daughter remains in poor health, with continued stomach pains. Despite the fact that Maria purchased and brought in three injections of Neurobion, a concentrated vitamin supplement that the police had urgently requested, three days have passed and Wendy hadn’t been given the medication.
Aviles also denounced the fact that her daughter had been taken out as many as five times a day for questioning, sessions in which she was told that she’d rot there and that her family would abandon her, all a form of psychological torture. Maria also affirmed that Wendy’s food was being served on a red and black plate, the color of the governing Sandinista party she opposes.
Meanwhile, Tamara Zamora, mother of student leader Amaya Coppens who is behind bars for the second time, stated that her daughter was well and that they hadn’t mistreated her again, as in the horrible initial days of her jailing. The only thing Amaya was suffering from, her mother advised, was diarrhea, the same as the other young people, but that they were being given medication for this.
“The black and blue marks she had on her wrists and forearms have faded,” the parent noted upon leaving the visitation area on Monday, November 25.
“For the love of Nicaragua”
Darling Hernandez, a relative of Derlis Hernandez, stated that the young people’s morale was high, and if they had to remain locked up for the love of Nicaragua, they would do so in order to force changes.
The 13 young people are being processed in Managua’s Fifth Penal District Court, falsely accused of arms trafficking. In reality, what they were carrying was water, in a humanitarian mission to the San Miguel Archangel Church in Masaya, which had been surrounded by the Ortega Police.
Inside the church at that time was the parish priest, Father Edwin Romero, and ten mothers and relatives of political prisoners, on a hunger strike. The regime had cut off electricity and water service to the church; those who now find themselves locked up had attempted to come to their aid with water. Upon leaving the area, they were captured by the Ortega police who then planted arms and explosives in their car in order to incriminate them.
The parental visit was part of a group visitation to the common and political prisoners, a visit where they were permitted to bring them food and water. The initial hearing is scheduled for this Thursday, November 28.
Three of Masaya’s political prisoners
Lawyer Mariela Montalvan was visiting Wilfredo Alejandro Brenes, who had grown up in her family. He was jailed by the regime for four months without ever being sent before the court and now is being processed together with the young people from the Blue and White National Unity movement and two other Masaya residents who had gone with them to bring water to those inside the San Miguel Archangel Church.
“Brenes has consistently participated in the civic struggle. He was captured in the early hours of November 15, while transporting water to the people on the hunger strike; nonetheless, in the accusation, the prosecution has him in the vehicles of the UNAB members. These had already been arrested, as they were detained around midnight on November 14,” Montalvan clarified.
Later, in the afternoon of Tuesday, November 26, the mothers of the political prisoners complained that they too had been under siege, but warned that they wouldn’t abandon their imprisoned children.