Following negotiations with the governments of Guatemala and the United States, Nicaragua has deported 135 political prisoners. Including journalist Víctor Ticay, who was arrested after livestreaming a Catholic Holy Week celebration on April 6, 2023, in defiance of the government’s ban on public religious expressions. Ticay was sentenced in August 2023 to eight years in prison on charges of conspiracy to undermine national integrity and spreading fake news.
Free Press Alliance celebrates the release of Víctor Ticay; however, we are deeply concerned about the disappearance of journalist Fabiola Tercero.
Fabiola Tercero, an independent journalist, activist, and cultural manager, reported that her home was raided on July 12, 2024, by government agents under the direction of Commissioner Lidia Baltodano. Since that day, her whereabouts have remained unknown. There is no record of Tercero being transferred to “La Esperanza,” a well-known women’s detention center, raising suspicions about possible government involvement in her disappearance.
Free Press Alliance demands that the Nicaraguan government immediately disclose the whereabouts of Fabiola Tercero, as her name is not among the 135 political prisoners deported to Guatemala.
The situation for journalists in Nicaragua remains alarming. Despite the release of these 135 prisoners, all have had their Nicaraguan nationality revoked, preventing them from returning to the country and forcing them to seek asylum in nations such as Costa Rica and the United States.
Víctor Ticay’s case is emblematic of the broader crisis. Since 2018, more than 200 journalists have been expelled or forced into exile, according to data from the Foundation for Freedom of Expression and Democracy (FLED). While the release of prisoners offers some relief, the repression of journalism and dissent continues to be a grave issue in Nicaragua.