The prisoners were in jail for taking part in protests against President Daniel Ortega. Their release has been a key opposition demand during negotiations to end Nicaragua's political crisis.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Zuniga
Advertisement
Nicaragua's government freed another 50 political prisoners on Friday, bringing the total number of people released since February to 200. The prisoners had been jailed during protests against President Daniel Ortega that began a year ago.
The prisoner releases came two days after negotiations between the government and the opposition drew to a close, with Ortega's representatives having committed to a "complete" release of political prisoners by mid-May.
Ortega's government also agreed to the nullification of trials, convictions and outstanding arrest warrants.
Not fully free
The Interior Ministry said that the freed individuals included students, farmworkers and professionals arrested for taking part in the protest.
Although the jailed demonstrators, who were accused of "disrupting the public order and attacking the peace," were released, the charges against them were not dropped.
For the most part, they were transferred to a form of house arrest, a move that falls short of the unrestricted freedom that the opposition had demanded.
Nonetheless, Luis Alvarado, a representative from Nicaragua to the Organization of American States (OAS), said the prisoner releases were "proof of the commitment of the state and government of Nicaragua with the agreements reached so far" in the talks.
Azahalea Solis, a leader of the Civic Alliance and one of the negotiators, said the releases were unexpected. She was disappointed that the Nicaraguan government had not coordinated with her group and the Red Cross to ascertain that these individuals were on their list of political prisoners.
Nicaragua crisis explained
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.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP Photo/E. Felix
9 images1 | 9
Opposition march thwarted
On the same day of the prisoner release, the police announced it would not authorize an opposition march scheduled for Saturday. Although the government imposed a de facto ban on demonstrations last year, protesters have still managed to mobilize in smaller gatherings.
Authorities said that the organizer of Saturday's protest, National Blue and White Unity, a coalition to which the Civic Alliance belongs, did not "have legitimacy to hold gatherings" and was "involved in serious disturbances of public order" in previous weeks.
Nicaragua has been embroiled in a political crisis that began a year ago, when the government introduced an unpopular pension reform plan. Protesters and the opposition have demanded that Ortega step down and call for early elections, something that the 72-year-old former guerrilla leader has refused to do.
Nicaragua's government has accused protesters of being "coup plotters" and "terrorists" bent on toppling Ortega's government.
But as the economic situation deteriorated due to sanctions imposed by the US and the toll that frequent demonstrations have had on commerce, the Ortega government started to negotiate with the opposition.
According to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, at least 325 people have died, 2,000 have been injured and at least 52,000 have fled the country into exile, as a result of Nicaragua's political unrest.
