Nicaragua arrests dozens for reportedly supporting capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

Authorities in Nicaragua have arrested at least 60 people for reportedly celebrating or expressing support for the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a human rights watchdog group and local media outlets said on Friday (January 9, 2026).

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Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice-President Rosario Murillo are staunch allies of Mr. Maduro, who was captured by U.S. military personnel in Caracas last Saturday (January 3, 2026) and taken to New York to face trial on drug and weapons charges.

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“Since the arrest of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, “at least 60 arbitrary arrests” have occurred over alleged support for the operation, the NGO Blue and White Monitoring, which compiles reports of human rights violations in Nicaragua,” said in a post on X.

The group said 49 people remained in detention on Friday (January 9, 2026) “without information about their legal status,” while nine people have been released and three others were temporarily detained.

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“This new wave of repression is carried out without a judicial order and is based solely on expressions of opinion: comments on social media, private celebrations, or not repeating official propaganda,” the group said.

According to Confidencial, a Nicaraguan newspaper published outside the country, the arrests took place under a “state of alert” ordered by Ms. Murillo following Mr. Maduro’s capture — including surveillance in neighbourhoods and on social media. La Prensa, another local newspaper, said the arrests occurred owing to “posts in favor” of the U.S. operation.