Hundreds lined the streets of Little Havana Thursday in a show of solidarity with the political prisoners who were released by Nicaragua's government.
On Thursday, the Nicaraguan government released 222 political prisoners to the United States, flying them to Washington D.C.
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WATCH HERE"We are here to support the Nicaraguan people because we need to express to the community in Miami that we now stand up with Nicaragua, with the people of Nicaragua because we need freedom," said supporter Anavil Lopez.
Many of those released were considered to be prisoners of the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega.
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Milton Gonzalez helped organize Thursday’s rally.
"That’s why we’re here. We’re celebrating that these people were free, liberated," Gonzalez said. "Some of them have been in jail for more than three, four years because of their political thinking."
Officials said many of those released were political and business leaders, journalists, students, and civil society representatives.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said one of the prisoners released was a U.S. citizen – and the release marks a constructive step towards addressing human rights abuses in the country.
"We have a situation. We have a problem. There is a criminal government in Nicaragua," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez described some of the conditions prisoners were forced to endure.
"They had a lot of health issues, chronic infections. Some of them insulin," he said. "They suffered tortures. Psychological torture, physical torture, and most of them lacked basic medical attention."
Ortega called those who were released “traitors” and has maintained that those who were imprisoned were behind a 2018 plot to overthrow him.
Gonzalez and others at the Miami rally said while a lot more work needs to be done in Nicaragua, Thursday’s release was a good start.
"We thank God that the people were freed and with their families today," Gonzalez said.
Officials said the U.S. will give legal and medical support to those who arrived Thursday.
