having said that, i think that we can work strongly and in a more candid way to pursue unified political opposition. and we re working very hard not to commit the mistakes of the past. just before we end, i want to again get personal with you. and it s a reflection on your extraordinary personal story, because you first entered the united states as an unaccompanied minor, aged 12. you trekked across guatemala and mexico and got into texas and then ended up getting an education in florida as an immigrant. as i said earlier, hundreds of thousands of nicaraguans right now are trying to make a new life in costa rica or trying to get to the united states. for you with your special perspective as a political leader who actually was a child migrant, do you believe that nicaraguans who leave the country today are doing the right thing for themselves and their families? i think they are, because no one can call a country their own if they cannot pursue their dreams, if they cannot be free,
they become what they hate. so we need to break that cycle of violence. and the only way to do that is by not hating those who persecute us, who put us into prison, and rather, try to work out of reconciliation and out of solidarity of all nicaraguans. it s very, very hard because the natural human tendency when you go through so much suffering, is to basically hate those who put you in that situation, who made our family suffer. in my case, i made it very clear i hold no hatred for any nicaraguans. we want a democracy, even for sandinistas. we can have a country for all of us in tolerance and in peace. and that s my faith and that s my commitment to every nicaraguan. how can you not hate daniel 0rtega after this? i think that nobody can build anything productive out of hatred. i strongly disagree with him in many, many areas and i think he s a war criminal, i think he s a dictator. but i think that personal, direct hatred doesn t allow you to think in a very strategic way as a leader.
but we were on the right track to choose a unified political candidate. having said that, i think that we can work strongly and in a more candid way to pursue unified political opposition. and we re working very hard not to commit the mistakes of the past. just before we end, i want to again get personal with you. and it s a reflection on your extraordinary personal story, because you first entered the united states as an unaccompanied minor, aged 12. you trekked across guatemala and mexico and got into texas and then ended up getting an education in florida as an immigrant. as i said earlier, hundreds of thousands of nicaraguans right now are trying to make a new life in costa rica or trying to get to the united states. for you with your special perspective as a political leader who actually was a child migrant, do you believe that nicaraguans who leave the country today are doing the right thing for themselves and their families?
in the united states. frankly, you could make a new life for yourself. are you tempted to do that? well, i need time to heal. and that s what i meant when i said that. an audit of the heart. i need time for my family. i don t have and i don t claim to have the strategic answers for what s what s to come. but one thing i know i will remain committed to a new nicaragua and to a way in which all nicaraguans can have a humane and decent future. now, regarding my nationality, i think that the 0rtega regime doesn t have any authority, even though they reform the constitution and they stripped us from our nationality. but that is an illegitimate government. so that action, in terms of my understanding of it, doesn t have any implications. i am a nicaraguan and i will remain a nicaraguan today. and always. if you feel that strongly, then i guess you re very actively reflecting on how best to politically mobilize and organize to challenge 0rtega s grip on power. i see that in 2021, the oppositi
and the only way to do that is by not hating those who persecute us, who put us into prison, and rather, try to work out of reconciliation and out of solidarity of all nicaraguans. it s very, very hard because the natural human tendency when you go through so much suffering, is to basically hate those who put you in that situation, who made our family suffer. in my case, i made it very clear i hold no hatred for any nicaraguans. we want a democracy, even for sandinistas. we can have a country for all of us in tolerance and in peace. and that s my faith and that s my commitment to every nicaraguan. how can you not hate daniel 0rtega after this? i think that nobody can build anything productive out of hatred. i strongly disagree with him in many, many areas and i think he s a war criminal, i think he s a dictator. but i think that personal, direct hatred doesn t allow you to think in a very strategic way as a leader.