Nicaraguan regime detained another opposition leader: there are already 29 in the past two months

The opposition politician José Antonio Peraza Collado was arrested Monday evening accused by the police of Nicaragua for the alleged crime of “treasonBlue and White National Unit (UNAB), to which he belongs, reported on Tuesday.

Peraza, political scientist and specialist in political and electoral systems, becomes the 29th person arrested in the last two months, in view of the legislative elections of November 7, during which the country’s president, the Sandinista Daniel ortega, will seek a new re-election.

The national police, which directs Francisco diaz, a brother-in-law of Ortega, arrested opposition presidential candidates Cristiana Chamorro, Arturo Cruz, Félix Maradiaga, Juan Sebastián Chamorro, Miguel Mora, Medardo Mairena and Noel Vidaurre, who are also under investigation for suspected treason.

In addition, two ex vice chancellors, from the former story dissident Sandinista guerrillas, a Entrepreneur, a banker, an ex first Lady, five leaders opponents, leaders student, two leaders Farmers, a journalist, a commentator, two former workers from a NGO and a driver from Christian Chamorro.

In a statement, the police explained that they are basing their accusation against Peraza by citing the law for the defense of the rights of the people to independence, sovereignty and self-determination for peace, urgently approved by the National Assembly, with a Sandinista majority, last December.

This controversial law, promoted by the Executive, lists the “Traitors to the Fatherland” and he disqualifies them from running for public office.

The UNAB indicated, for its part, that of the 29 detainees, nine belong to this political organization, including Peraza, who is a member of its Political Council. “Since National Unity, we strongly denounce in front of the International community this new attack on civil liberties, ”he stressed.

“The regime is defeated and knows its time has come. He is afraid of moving towards a free, transparent and observed electoral process, ”he continued.

The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh), the Nicaraguan Human Rights Collective Never Again and the Konrad Adenauer Costa Rica Foundation they separately condemned the detention ”arbitrary“From the opposition political scientist and asked his”immediateRelease.

In an audio recorded before his arrest, Peraza said: “We are ready to pay this sacrifice and others for the freedom of Nicaragua. The dictatorship (of Ortega) does not scare us. We know that he is living his last moments (…). This dictatorship is coming to an end (…). The dark night will soon end”.

Peraza, who was director of the civic body Movement for Nicaragua, was arrested in October 2018 when, along with a group of opponents He wanted to protest in Managua against the Ortega government.

The arrests of opposition leaders take place before the legislative elections of November 7 in which Ortega, a former Sandinista guerrilla who returned to power in 2007 and who has reigned with his wife since 2017, Vice-President Rosario Murillo will seek to extend her term by five years.

The president, next to comply 76 years old and that he coordinated a board of directors from 1979 to 1984 and first presided over the country between 1985 and 1990, accused opposition leaders of trying to overthrow him with the support of the United States and called them “criminals”.

They will investigate the wives of detained opponents

The Nicaraguan public prosecutor said on Tuesday that he had opened an investigation against Berta Valle and Victoria Cardenas, the wives of two of the seven Nicaraguan presidential candidates arrested for allegedly violating “the rights of the Nicaraguan people and society”.

“Last week, Berta Adelma Valle Otero and Victoria Eugenia Cárdenas Lacayo held several meetings with senators, members of Congress and other officials of the United States government; meetings in which they demanded the use of pressure mechanisms against Nicaragua“, Said the prosecution in a statement.

For this reason, the national police have carried out an investigation, and the prosecution, after doing the analysis, will present a charge, “since such actions are considered a violation of the internal legal order“He continued.

According to the prosecution, “there are clear indications that they attacked Nicaraguan society and the rights of the people, in accordance with the law for the defense of the rights of the people to independence, sovereignty and self-determination for peace, and the Penal Code.

“They have committed acts that undermine the independence, sovereignty and self-determination of Nicaragua and have publicly called for foreign interference in various international forums. in internal affairs, calling for the blocking of economic, commercial and financial operations against the Nicaraguan State, its institutions and its citizens, ”he declared.

This controversial law, promoted by the Executive and urgently approved by the National Assembly, with a Sandinista majority, last December, it lists “traitors to the homeland” and disqualifies them from running for public office.

(With information from EFE)

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