They capture 60 people who demand the freedom of hundreds of political prisoners in Nicaragua – La República CE

The police Nicaragua On Saturday he used violence against opponents who tried to demonstrate to demand the release of hundreds of "political prisoners" and arrested more than 60 people, including well-known personalities, without escaping the protests against President Daniel Ortega.

The actions of the Nicaraguan police aimed to prevent a march called by the opposition's blue-and-white national unity to demand the "unconditional and absolute" freedom of the people arrested for protesting against Ortega.

Special Operations Directorate (DOE) officers, an elite body of the National Police, captured some 66 people before a demonstration, including journalists, opposition leaders, a former Sandinista guerrilla and a former minister. of Education, reported the unit.

Among the captured were the former Minister of Education, Humberto Belli, former Sandinista guerilla Mónica Baltodano, opposition leader Ana Margarita Vigil and veteran journalist Marlen Chow , also beaten by the police, said the unit.

Student leader Max Jerez, Constitutionalist Azahalea Solís and feminist leader Sandra Ramos, members of the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy team, who are negotiating with the government to find a way to out of the grave, were also captured. socio-political crisis in the country.

The arrests, carried out by the police and civilians, took place violently and included shots; In addition, dozens of agents have entered private commercial establishments near the center of Managua to capture protesters, according to various testimonies.

Police beat Nicaraguan photojournalist Luis Sequeira, put him in a police van and took his camera.

"They stole my equipment, my camera, my mobile phone, they hit me in the chest, in the belly," said Sequeira, of AFP, who, asking for his video camera, said replied: "Andá ask your mother" to throw him out of the truck.

Subsequently, the officers stuck journalists in a parking lot and fired shots, but no injuries were reported.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemned this "crackdown" against journalists and protesters Nicaragua.

"The IACHR condemns the repression of the national police in Managua and other points of contact Nicaragua. The state must stop attacks on journalists and demonstrators who have spoken out peacefully today for the release of political prisoners and must give information about the detainees and the wounded, "the agency said on its Twitter account.

Moreover, the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh), whose president, the activist Vilma Núñez, escaped, confirmed to Efe that hours later the police were pacing the streets waiting for protesters to leave petrol stations or gasoline commercials at their homes.

Police control partially achieved its objective, as they prevented the protest, but not the protests, as Nicaraguans remained inside the shopping centers took the opportunity to protest against Ortega, either by singing the national anthem of Nicaragua, or slogans like "¡Viva Nicaragua free! "," That leaves, lets! "or" City join! ".

The march was convened Thursday by the Blue and White National Units, but on Friday the police announced that she had not given permission to the protest.

However, the Unit appealed to the rights of expression and mobilization enshrined in the Constitution of Nicaragua to confirm the walk.

Before the demonstration, the Unit asked the apostolic nuncio Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag and the delegate of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Ángel Rosadilla, to intercede as " witnesses and companions "negotiations between the government and the opposition so that it respects the right to free mobilization.

Nicaragua According to the IACHR, it suffers from a serious crisis that has left 325 dead in 11 months, although some local humanitarian groups bring to 561 the number of victims, while the president Daniel Ortega recognizes that 199 and denounces an attempted coup d'etat.

At least 762 people remain under some form of penitentiary regime Nicaragua after taking part in anti-government demonstrations, according to the Committee for the Release of Prisoners and Political Prisoners.

The IACHR insisted that the Ortega government had committed crimes "against humanity", while the implementation of the Inter-American Democratic Charter was under way at the OAS, which could lead to suspension of the country of Central America from the mainland body. EFE