Nicaragua returns ink, paper seized from publication critical of government

Nicaragua’s authoritarian government loosened its grip on the opposition press last week when it released shipments of ink and newsprint belonging to La Prensa, the country’s largest newspaper.

The national daily has been critical of President Daniel Ortega, often referring to him as the “dictator.” Ortega’s government seized the ink and paper in October 2018, following a spate of anti-government protests where violent clashes between demonstrators and police left more than 325 dead, according to Reuters.

Ortega’s family runs a huge media empire in the country and has cracked down on independent media outlets. Following the 2018 unrest, Nicaraguan authorities also raided and shut down two television stations.

Jaime Chamorro, whose family owns La Prensa, told Reuters that a channel of communication was opened with the customs department and it “freed our supplies that were detained.”

The United States, which has imposed sanctions on the country for human rights violations, praised the release of the ink and paper and urged Ortega to lift restrictions on other news outlets last week.

“Freedom of expression is a #HumanRight,” tweeted Michael Kozak, the Acting Assistant Secretary for the US State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. He called on Ortega to “return property confiscated from other independent outlets.”