Andrea Margarita Del Carmen, Director of Programs at the Nicaraguan PEN Centre – closed down more than a year ago– was charged with the alleged crime of «conspiracy» by the Nicaraguan judicial system.
On September 14, 2022, the police broke into her house to arrest her, but she was not in the house and they detained her son, Gabriel López Del Carmen, 34, as a hostage, imprisoned in the «El Chipote» prison, accused of the same crime. Due to police persecution, Andrea Margarita Del Carmen was forced to leave the country.
Below we share a statement from PEN International, of which the Uruguayan PEN Centre is a signatory, rejecting «the action of the Nicaraguan government against the Director of Programs for the Nicaraguan PEN Centre, Andrea Margarita del Carmen, and her son, Gabriel López del Carmen”.