Nicaragua's government has released 50 people arrested during a year of anti-regime protests. However, the new amnesty law also protects police and supporters of the government who assaulted demonstrators in 2018.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Zuniga
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On Monday, Nicaragua's government released 50 more people jailed for their roles in protests during months of political upheaval in 2018.
A new law extends protections to "people who have not been investigated, who find themselves under investigation" or in criminal processes and "complying with their sentences."
However, it also bans freed political prisoners from launching further anti-government protests.
"I'm free, but I still feel imprisoned," said Hansell Vasquez, one of the people released on Monday. He added that he felt "happy to have escaped that hell" but also "sad and worried because the country is more locked up than when we became prisoners."
According to Nicaragua's Interior Ministry, the 50 people most recently released had spent time in prison on charges of committing crimes against public safety. The government announced plans to release other people held on the same charges.
The government arrested more than 700 people in demonstrations in 2018 and, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, 325 mostly opposition protesters died at the hands of security forces.
Some opposition groups put the number of fatalities at 594, while the government has only acknowledged 199 deaths. The attacks left more than 2,000 protesters wounded. More than 60,000 Nicaraguans have gone into exile because of political strife over the past 14 months.
President Daniel Ortega has pledged to release people detained in the anti-government protests as a gesture of good faith to the opposition and an effort toward encouraging a national dialogue. The Civic Alliance opposition group recently reported that 186 opponents of the government remain behind bars.
The releases came two days after lawmakers passed an amnesty bill for crimes related to the largely student-led protests that erupted in April 2018. Though the new law calls for the government to release jailed dissidents immediately, it also closes the door on investigating and punishing security forces involved in the deadly repression of the protests. A coalition of more than 70 opposition groups rejected the law because it holds no one responsible for the deaths of the protesters.
Opposition leaders say the measure would also forgive killings and other abuses by police and pro-government civilian militias who attacked demonstrators. According to the government, the amnesty will lead to the "reconciliation of society."
Continued protests have thrown the Central American nation into political disorder. DW looks at the key events that led to the chaos.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Herrera
Daniel Ortega: A Cold War relic
Embattled President Daniel Ortega has been a fixed presence in Nicaraguan politics for decades. Following the fall of longtime dictator Anastasio Somoza, Ortega became president in 1985, heading the leftist Sandinista National Liberation Front. With deep ties to Fidel Castro, he faced US opposition. The Reagan Administration supported a right-wing guerrilla movement aimed at bringing him down.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS/S. Mc Kiernan
Opposition figure and return to power
After losing re-election in 1990, Ortega became a major opposition figure. Ortega finally won the presidency in 2006, riding the wave of leftist presidents in Latin America. He became a close friend and ally of Hugo Chavez. He has since changed tack, allying himself with the country's traditionally right-wing business community and clergy.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/epa/M. Lopez
Nicaraguan government consolidates power
Coupled with changes in electoral law, Ortega has prolonged and cemented his rule. In 2016, he barred international observers and nominated his wife as vice-president. The pair won the election, which was condemned by the opposition and criticized internationally by the US, OAS and the EU.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/R. Arangua
Pension reform attempt
In April 2018, Ortega announced a move to reform Nicaragua's pension system, saying that fiscal changes were needed. The reform sought to impose a 5 percent tax on retiree and disability pensions while increasing social security contributions by up to 22.5 percent. The move unleashed large-scale protests nationwide, which have been the biggest challenge Ortega has faced during his modern tenure.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Zuniga
State repression and clergy mediation
The pension plan was abandoned but protests continued, demanding Ortega's ouster. UN Human Rights experts denounced the state's harsh repression. As the death toll rose, Nicaragua's Catholic Church has demanded that Ortega allow international organizations entry to Nicaragua to help investigate the deaths and tried to set up talks between the opposition and the government.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
Government and opposition sit down
The opposition, comprised of students and a wide range of civil society groups, sat down with the government for a round of talks on May 16. The Clergy said the talks would be focused on "justice, democratization, and peace." The opposition's main demand: new presidential elections in 2019. The government rejected the demands and talks broke down.
Image: Reuters/J. Cabrera
Catholic Church under fire
Bishops and priests in the strongly Catholic country have played a key role in the crisis. In addition to mediating the peace talks that stalled in June, the bishops have also seconded the call for new elections. Ortega has described the bishops as "coup-plotters" against him, and Catholic leaders have faced threats, harassment and attacks. Protesters have marched in support of the priests.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. Ocon
Students as prime targets
University students have been the vanguard of the anti-Ortega movement. Many violent crackdowns have taken place on university campuses, often involving heavy gunfire. While the students say that paramilitaries loyal to Ortega are behind the shootings, the president denies that the armed individuals are under government control. He has also described the protesters as "terrorists" and "criminals."
Image: Image/Agencia EFE/J. Torres
Stalemate and instability
The death toll in four months of violence has risen to over 300 according to human rights activists, though the Ortega government says it's around 200. Protesters continue to take to the streets, describing torture, blacklists and job dismissals as repercussions for their demonstrations. In addition, the UN says over 20,000 people have sought asylum in Costa Rica in a crisis with no end in sight.
