Nicaragua’s left-wing government has announced the release of dozens of prisoners following pressure from the administration of United States President Donald Trump.

In a statement issued on Saturday, President Daniel Ortega’s government said that “tens of people who were in the national penitentiary system have returned to their families”.

The statement did not disclose how many people were released or whether those freed had been detained for political reasons.

Although the government said the release was a commemorative gesture marking 19 years of Ortega’s rule, Nicaragua is facing significant pressure from the United States over its human rights record and a years-long crackdown on opposition leaders and activists.

The move also highlights the increasing pressure on left-wing governments across Latin America to respond to demands from the Trump administration, which has sought to assert greater influence throughout the region.

Tensions have escalated sharply since the US military attacked Venezuela on January 3 and abducted President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro faces US charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking, which he denies.

On Friday, the US Embassy in Nicaragua welcomed the release of opposition figures in Venezuela following Maduro’s removal from power and urged Ortega’s government to take similar steps.

“In Nicaragua, more than 60 people remain unjustly detained or missing, including pastors, religious workers, the sick, and the elderly. Peace is only possible with freedom!” the embassy wrote on social media.

Liberales Nicaragua, a coalition of opposition groups, welcomed Saturday’s prisoner release, saying there was “no doubt” it resulted from “political pressure exerted by the US government on the dictatorship” and from “political manoeuvres triggered by events in Venezuela.”

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