• More than 200 political prisoners from Nicaragua were freed.
• FM Jose Manuel Albares praised Ortega’s decision to release his critics from prison.
• Several opposition presidential candidates were among the political prisoners who were freed.

More than 200 political prisoners from Nicaragua who were freed and flown to the United States on Thursday were granted citizenship by the Spanish government, the country’s top diplomat said on Friday.

Following the unexpected release of 222 Nicaraguan detainees who were later expelled to the United States, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares made the statement to the Servimedia news agency.

After they were freed, MPs who support dictator Daniel Ortega’s policies moved to revoke their Nicaraguan citizenship, which might block future aspirations to return.

However, as it calls for a constitutional amendment, a second vote will most likely not be required until 2024.

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Albares praised Ortega’s decision to release his critics from prison, many of whom were well-known opposition politicians, journalists, and religious leaders, in the interview.

Noting that Madrid’s decision had been made “after news reports that proceedings had begun to declare them stateless,” he continued by saying that Spain was prepared to accept others.

The detainees, who entered the country on a temporary humanitarian visa, will be contacted by Spanish officials so they can legally petition for citizenship.

Several opposition presidential candidates, including several who planned to oppose Ortega in a 2021 race but were arrested and incarcerated in an unprecedented dragnet and the criminalization of political dissent, were among the political prisoners who were freed.

The majority of international observers called the 2021 election a fraud.

In contrast to how the United States framed the action as a “positive gesture” that might lead to additional talks between Managua and Washington, Ortega defined the prisoner release on Thursday as an effort to deport criminals who aimed to destroy Nicaragua.

Famous Nicaraguan cultural icons were eager to applaud Spain for acting quickly.

Famous author Sergio Ramirez, who was Ortega’s vice president in the past, called it a “beautiful gesture,” adding that those released “will have a homeland as long as Nicaragua does not recover its freedom and democracy.”

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