Nicaragua: Hugo Torres, Sandinista guerrilla who went to the opposition, died in detention
The former hero of the Sandinista guerrilla Hugo Torres (our photo), who became an opponent of the President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega, died on Saturday February 12, in hospital detention at the age of 73.
Oscar NAVARRETE AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Former Sandinista guerrilla hero Hugo Torres, who became an opponent of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, died on Saturday, February 12, in hospital detention at the age of 73.
Like dozens of others, he was arrested at the end of last year by his ex-comrade in arms.
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“
46 years ago, I risked my life to get Daniel Ortega out of prison
,” Hugo Torres, 73, recalled in a video just before being arrested.
Vice-president of the opposition Unamos party, he was also one of the great figures of resistance to the Somosa dictatorship, which reigned over Nicaragua for more than 60 years.
In 1974, Hugo Torres led a Sandinista guerrilla commando for a risky operation: to free prisoners, among them the future president
Daniel Ortega
.
“
He freed the one who ended up becoming his executioner
,” writes the newspaper
Confidencial
.
“
Physical and psychological torture
”
This Sunday, February 13, the Unamos party denounces “
physical and psychological torture
”, and the Organization of American States considers “
abominable to keep political prisoners suffering from terminal illnesses in detention, without the necessary medical assistance.
»
The prosecution ensures for its part that Hugo Torres, has always been accompanied by his family and has been treated adequately.
He also announced the abandonment of the charges against him.
'
Treated like a criminal
'
He was imprisoned on June 13 in the dreaded prison of El Chipote in Managua.
In the past two weeks, 18 of the 46 opponents detained have been
convicted of undermining national integrity or of “
conspiring
”
with the support of the United States.
"
Humiliated and treated like a criminal, Hugo died of sadness, and knowing that his whole heroic life was trampled on by those for whom he risked his life so many times
", reacted on Twitter the poet and former Sandinista resistance fighter Gioconda belli.
Vilified and treated as a criminal, Hugo murió de tristeza y de saber que toda su vida heroica la pisoteaban aquellos por los que arriesgó su vida tantas veces.
Las traiciones son el cáncer más duro que puede sufrir un hombre íntegro y bueno como Hugo.
@ReporteNi https://t.co/U10AgMgcnF
— Gioconda Belli (@GiocondaBelliP) February 12, 2022
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