The regime of President Daniel Ortega continued "purging" the country's political system and closing the siege of freedom of press and expression with the release of 135 political prisoners, among them some independent journalists, whom he deported in September to Guatemala. A similar action was taken last year, when 222 political prisoners were deported to Washington, including media directors, following an agreement with the U.S. government. In both cases, all of the deportees were stripped of their nationality.
One of the 135 deportees was journalist Victor Ticay, who was arrested on April 6, 2023. He had been sentenced to eight years in prison for the crimes of treason and spreading false news after recording and disseminating a religious procession on his social networks.
Independent journalist and feminist activist Fabiola Tercero, who is not included in the list of deportees to Guatemala, as expected, remains missing. Tercero disappeared on July 12. Several press organizations have expressed fears that the government may be involved in her disappearance. Before he went missing, Tercero had reported that government agents had raided his home.
Photojournalist Oswaldo Rivas had been forced to leave the country since he began to be persecuted by the police in June 2024. Rivas contributed to Reuters, AFP, and The New York Times.
The organizations Fundación por la Libertad de Expresión y Democracia (FLED) and Periodistas y Comunicadores Independientes de Nicaragua (PCIN) indicated that between 2018 and September of this year, 276 independent journalists had to leave the country. It also reported 47 aggressions between January and June, primarily threats, 16 of which occurred to journalists working in other countries. The FLED recorded numerous cases of stigmatizing speeches against journalists between April and June.
The government maintains tight control over the journalists who remain in the country. In April, the government demanded that freelance journalists, primarily elderly and no longer in the profession, report to a particular telephone line. Previously, they had to do so by going to police stations. The governmental siege also occurs against journalists working in pro-government media for allowing citizens to make reports.
In its report, "Repression and financial problems forge the path towards the abandonment of journalistic practice in Nicaragua, " FLED reported that 17 departments, or 41 percent of the country's territory, have been left without independent journalistic practice.
There have been cases of denial of entry visas to foreign journalists and influencers.
In this period, the government ordered the closure of religious media, such as Radio Maria. Intimidations also changed the news agenda of some media, such as Radio Volcán.
