Nicaragua grants citizenship to Palestinians amid political crackdowns

The Nicaraguan government, led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, has granted citizenship to two Palestinian nationals, Abdullah Younes and Lamees Shaar, through official resolutions issued on July 31, 2026. This move comes amid ongoing criticism regarding the administration's practice of stripping citizenship from hundreds of political opponents, journalists, and human rights defenders.

In a separate development, the government released an interview with Bishop Emeritus Juan Abelardo Mata following reports of his disappearance after being detained by the National Police. The interview, conducted by state propagandist Adolfo Pastrán Arancibia, shows the 80-year-old bishop at his home. While the government previously claimed he had been sent home following international pressure, the interview follows a request from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to expand provisional measures in his favor.