Nicaragua frees 222 political prisoners to the U.S.

Nicaragua released 222 political prisoners early Thursday, including a U.S. citizen, in a deal negotiated with Washington that marks one of the biggest prisoner releases ever involving the United States, according to senior Biden administration officials.

The Nicaraguan government, which sought nothing in return, agreed to release the prisoners as a way to signal a desire to restart relations with the United States, the officials said.

The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on the government and family of President Daniel Ortega in recent years, as the country has slid into autocratic rule and targeted opponents in civil society, the church and the news media.

Despite the positive action from the Nicaraguan government, officials in Washington say they remain wary since it is unclear whether the Ortega family is willing to loosen their grip on power, permit political dissent and hold free and fair elections.

Those released in Nicaragua included political opposition members, business figures, student activists and journalists. Once in the United States, they will be given humanitarian parole for a period of two years, a process that allows foreigners who do not have a visa or may not be eligible for one to enter the country and apply for asylum. Two other political prisoners declined offers of refuge in the United States.

The prisoner release “marks a constructive step toward addressing human rights abuses in the country and opens the door to further dialogue,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

Clutching what few belongings they had in plastic bags, many looking frail, the freed detainees boarded the flight from Managua to Washington before it took off at about 7:45 a.m. Eastern time, officials said. It landed about four hours later.

The U.S. government planned to provide medical and legal assistance to the former prisoners, according to U.S. officials, before allowing them to reunite with their families.

The country’s National Assembly on Thursday passed a measure to change the constitution to strip the freed prisoners of their nationality, according to local media reports.