Forced into exile: Some Nicaraguans not allowed to return to homeland
MIAMI - Sheynnis Palacios became the first Nicaraguan to win the title of Miss Universe. That moment of joy for millions of Nicaraguans – including those living in South Florida – was overshadowed when Nicaraguan Beauty Pageant Director, Karen Celebertti was not allowed to return to Nicaragua. Her husband and son did, but they were arrested and accused of terrorism.
"We can only describe this situation as paranoia of the (Nicaraguan) dictatorship," said Felix Maradiaga. He is a former Nicaraguan political prisoner.
Maradiaga was locked up in jail because of challenging dictator Daniel Ortega at the polls. He says Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo - the vice [resident - consider terrorism marching through the streets of Nicaragua with a national flag demanding change; yet, those protests happened five years ago.
"Over 15% of the (Nicaraguan) population has been forced into exile and about 300 Nicaraguans have declared stateless, this is a new method of repression," said Maradiaga who along more than 220 political prisoners their citizens were removed, as if they never existed.
"When somebody loses the ability to return to his home country, like the Nicaraguans, they fall into sort of a limbo," told CBS News Miami Maureen Porras, an Immigration Attorney in South Florida.
At a press conference held by the Permanent Commission of Human Rights (CPDH – Miami) Nicaragua was a subject of discussion because of the forced exile and because political asylums are not easily processed in the U.S.
"We are seeing very high volume of these asylum cases," said Porras who that currently it can take many years for someone to even be interviewed for their asylum application.
"I landed in Nicaragua on Wednesday and I was returned to Miami the following day," told CBS News Miami a man who identified himself as Raul. He is a naturalized U.S. Citizen who fears revealing his whole identity because he has family in Nicaragua
"I posted (on social media) some things about the government and my posture against the government," said Raul who believes that is the reason why he was not allowed in. The director of the Miss Nicaragua Pageant is accused of doing the same thing.
Human Rights activists at the Miami Conference are asking U.S. legislators to pay attention to what the Ortega government is doing forcing people into exile.
As far as Sheynnis Palacios, Miss Universe 2023, it is unknown if she will be allowed to return to her homeland and celebrate with the Nicaraguan people her triumph.