Never remain silent:

Getting everything back

Being exiled not only meant a new life, but also entering a reality she barely understood. The world, and its correlation with the Ortega-Murillo regime, had changed. Many entered prison when small signs of rebellion against the dictatorship were possible in Nicaragua. They came out when no one in the country could speak out against Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. 

The way to do activism had to change. This is what Tamara Davila, member of the Nicaraguan Democratic Union (Unamos) and part of the group of the 222 exiled, thinks.

"The main challenge for me has to do with making the different States and public officials understand that there should be no competition between the humanitarian and human rights conflicts that are taking place in the world, that everything should be prioritized," remarks Dávila, who has slowly resumed her activism.

Dávila still belongs to Unamos and has recently joined Monteverde, a political project that includes various opposition actors and movements. "My actions have been focused on lobbying and meetings to keep Nicaragua on the political agenda of the United States, but also of other countries in Europe," she adds.

But getting to this point meant a whole process for Dávila, due to the adaptation it meant to get out of prison. For her, coming out of captivity meant learning again to adapt to the noises outside, the light, the food, and freedom. 

"The goal and part of our activism is to be healthy, and for me the mental health support that I continue to receive has been fundamental," says Dávila, whose after-effects of prison have been treated through therapy. 

Healing in exile

Ana Margarita Vijil has had to rethink her activism in this new context. Although in Nicaragua, before being imprisoned, she had to work in clandestinity, always hidden from the regime, she felt she had more freedom to help other people. 

"Being exiled has forced me out of my habitat, I had to rethink how I could continue doing those two things in an environment I didn't know, having to, in fact, look for another way to survive, because, well, they took everything away from us," she says via phone call from a cold northern U.S. city, which she prefers not to mention. 

"So, it has been a great personal challenge, but I feel that at the same time activism, the connection with this greater cause which is to change what is wrong in Nicaragua, is also what has helped me to cope," she adds.

Her activism, like that of most people in exile, consists of keeping in touch with the rest of the exiles and creating solidarity networks. The situation, for many, is critical. Unemployment, the high cost of living and a very different culture have affected the lives of many. 

In fact, the Nicaraguan diaspora in the United States took care of everything related to housing for most of the 222 political prisoners exiled by the dictatorship. 

"What we did was that a group of people and organizations of the diaspora opened the doors of their homes, for a period of three months. It is very difficult, because the diaspora was not emotionally prepared to receive them," assures Damaris Rostrán, a Nicaraguan activist based in the United States since 2022, who dedicated herself to coordinating solidarity networks for the political exiles.

"Sometimes we feel that it is too much, that the situation will never end, and then I think that we are closer, we are closer to the end, we have already made a lot of progress," reflects Ana Margarita.