reach the united states. are you proposing that in that context, you want to see tougher economic sanctions put on ortega and his regime? economic sanctions, targeted sanctions against the 0rtega inner circle because people in nicaragua is poor precisely because there s a corrupt regime. i understand. and i ve also been very careful in not speaking about economic actions or sanctions that will hurt the poor. i think that that s very important to emphasize. but they do have the poor, mr maradiaga. look, we have to look at the reality. i mean, the united states last year, in response to what they saw as egregious abuses by the 0rtega regime, put new sanctions on the gold mining industry in nicaragua. but if you look at the nicaraguan economy, the gold mining sector is one of the few relative success stories which actually employs thousands of nicaraguans. so, of course, those sorts of sanctions ultimately will hit your fellow citizens. i think that there are types of sanctions, and i per
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 opposition talked
when you get onto us territory. nicaraguans now find that a very difficult situation. would you be pressing the us government to backtrack, to end that system? i will continue to work together with my other colleagues of the nicaraguan opposition, not only to pursue changes inside nicaragua, but to find the best humanitarian ways to, with other friendly governments around the region to solve this humanitarian crisis. and yes, we have had conversations at the top level with the us government. in fact, we just landed a few weeks ago, and five or eight hours later we were having conversations with high officials of the white house and state department and congress. and this was at the top of our list, trying to find ways to give a fast track to nicaraguan refugees. in a word or two. will you go back to nicaragua? do you believe? do you have faith you will and be politically active again? yes, as a matter of faith,
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. and when you are trying to represent a broad coalition, when you re trying to represent a country, you cannot let your own personal resentments to get in the way
any other options. however, i don t think that the world can solve our own problems. we nicaraguans have to focus on trying to build a new country, and there are some people that take great personal challenges. i m only one of many, many examples. many other nicaraguans has gone through terrible things to face 0rtega. but those who do not have a chance, they only have exile as a chance. and that s why we need to care, because we can only solve this humanitarian crisis, not only a political one, but a humanitarian crisis by involving the international community in finding a solution. right. but interestingly, you re now sitting in the united states and you will be well aware that in the last few months, the biden administration has made it harderfor nicaraguans who are seeking asylum to enter the united states. unless you do it online before you make an attempt to get on us soil, you will be immediately expelled