As hard as it may be to hold the Nicaraguan government to account, the world has not forgotten Pastor Efren Antonio Vílchez López

‘They closed the embassy around three or four years ago but didn’t really tell anyone.’

I think I actually laughed when I heard it. I was standing in the reception of a building I was just then discovering was the former site of the Nicaraguan Embassy in London, having made an hour and a half journey to Kensington to deliver a letter calling for the release of Protestant Pastor Efren Antonio Vílchez López.

From the way the receptionist explained it I got the sense that this sort of thing had happened before, which lessened but did not entirely eliminate the embarrassment on my part. Some frantic Googling revealed that while, yes, there were some mentions of the closure online – particularly if you added ‘closed’ to your search terms – most results listed the address as the building I was now standing disgruntledly outside, with the panel that pops up when you search for these things still listing its opening hours as 11am-4pm Monday to Friday.

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Por difícil que sea exigirle responsabilidades al gobierno nicaragüense, el mundo no ha olvidado al pastor Efren Antonio Vílchez López.

‘Cerraron la embajada hace como tres o cuatro años, pero no le dijeron a nadie.’

Creo que me reí cuando lo escuché. Estaba en la recepción de un edificio cuando acababa de descubrir que era la antigua sede de la Embajada de Nicaragua en Londres, justo después de haber viajado una hora y media hasta Kensington para entregar una carta pidiendo la liberación del pastor protestante Efren Antonio Vílchez López.

Por la forma en que la recepcionista lo explicó, tuve la impresión de que algo así ya había sucedido antes, lo cual disminuyó, pero no eliminó por completo, mi vergüenza. Una búsqueda frenética en Google reveló que, si bien, sí, había  algunas menciones del cierre en línea – especialmente si agregabas “cerrado” a tus términos de búsqueda-, la mayoría de los resultados mostraban la dirección del edificio frente al cual me encontraba ahora, visiblemente disgustado, ant el panel que aparece cuando buscas este tipo de cosas aún enlistando las horas en las que abren como 11am-4pm lunes a viernes.

Continue reading “Por difícil que sea exigirle responsabilidades al gobierno nicaragüense, el mundo no ha olvidado al pastor Efren Antonio Vílchez López.”

“I want to be a good man” – an interview with David Rosales, son of Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo 

CSW spoke with David Rosales, son of Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, pastor of the independent church Monte de Sión in Palma Soriano, who today is serving a seven-year prison sentence in the Boniato Maximum Security Prison in Santiago de Cuba. 

The religious leader was accused in December 2021 of public disorder, criminal incitement, disrespect and assault, after he and his son David participated in the national protests on 11 July 2021. The Cuban regime, using false information and witnesses, accused Lorenzo and David of responsibility for wounds suffered by ‘seven public order agents and one civil servant who was taking care of the institution. At the same time, they damaged the state bus, which was parked where the acts took place.” 

On 17 July 2021 David Rosales was released under precautionary bail because of his participation in the protests. This measure was modified, and David was exonerated from criminal proceedings after a fine, paid on 19 August 2021, was imposed.  

Continue reading “I want to be a good man” – an interview with David Rosales, son of Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo “

Living in exile: “As long as the same government is in power I do not dare to return”

Samuel1 is a Nicaraguan teacher and lawyer who was forced to flee his country in April 2019 after being repeatedly arrested in retaliation for his reporting on human rights violations committed by government forces.

For the latest instalment in our Living in exile series, CSW spoke with Samuel to hear his story.

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

“I am a Nicaraguan citizen from the Department of Chontales. I am a teacher and a lawyer. I am currently in exile in Panama as a “Refugee in Process”, and have been since 16 April 2019 through Executive Order No. 5 for the Protection of Refugee Applicants from the Government of Panama, through the National Office for the Attention of Refugees (ONPAR).

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Viviendo en el exilio: “Estando el mismo gobierno no me atrevo a regresar”

Samuel1 es un profesor y abogado nicaragüense que se vio obligado a abandonar su país en abril de 2019 después de haber sido detenido repetidamente en represalia por su reportaje sobre violaciones de derechos humanos cometidas por las fuerzas gubernamentales.

Para la última entrega en nuestra serie ‘Viviendo en el exilio’, CSW habló con Samuel para aprender su historia.

¿Quién eres?

“Soy Nicaragüense del Departamento de Chontales. Soy pedagogo y abogado. Ahora estoy en Panamá exiliado en calidad de Refugiado en Trámite, desde el 16 de abril del 2019 a través de la Orden Ejecutiva N. 5 de Protección a Solicitantes de Refugio del Gobierno de Panamá, mediante la Organismo Nacional de Protección y Atención a Refugiados (ONPAR).

Continue reading “Viviendo en el exilio: “Estando el mismo gobierno no me atrevo a regresar””