human rights defender
Félix Alejandro Maradiaga Blandon
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER
Organization affiliation
- Unidad Nacional Azul y Blanco (UNAB)
- Unión Democrática Renovadora (UNAMOS)
HRD's year of birth
1976
HRD's Gender
Man
Type of HRD
- Social and community leader
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
HRD's geographical origin
Urban
Current Status
Released
HRD's bio and work
(AI translated) Félix Maradiaga was born in Jinotega on 23 September 1976. Between 1997 and 2001, he was director of the Office for the Reintegration of Ex-Combatants, contributing to the efforts to disarm, demobilise and reintegrate members of the Nicaraguan guerrilla movement. In 2004, he was appointed Secretary General of the Nicaraguan Ministry of Defence. From 2011 onwards, he served as academic coordinator of the Civil Society Leadership Institute. In 2017, he was appointed Executive Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Public Policy (IEEPP), where he focused his work on researching the impact of corruption on public administration.
In 2018, he joined the Blue and White National Unity (UNAB) movement, one of the main opposition groups formed in the wake of the protests and repression by Daniel Ortega's government. In September 2018, he testified before the UN Security Council on the government's repression. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued against him, accusing him of ‘organised crime and financing terrorism’, which forced him to leave the country, returning in September 2019.
He ran for president in the 2021 Nicaraguan national elections, but was arrested on 8 June 2021 and released on 9 February 2023, when he was exiled to the United States along with 221 other political prisoners.
On 15 October 2024, he was appointed president of the Latin American Liberal Network (RELIAL). On 18 November 2025, he was appointed president of the World Liberty Congress, which brings together pro-democracy activists and opposition movements from around the world. On 24 November 2025, from exile, he announced the founding of a new opposition party, ‘La Ruta del Cambio’ (The Road to Change).
Detained since
Jun 8, 2021
Date of release
Feb 9, 2023
Charge(s)
- Subversion
Sentence
(AI translated) 13 years in prison
Latitude: 12.096942985994628
Longitude: -86.2812758311463
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Americas: Latin America and the Caribbean
Location of detention - City/Town
Managua
Location of detention - Facility
Dirección de Auxilio Judicial «Evaristo Vásquez» conocido como el Nuevo Chipote
Recent case update / evolution
(AI translated) Exiled and stripped of his nationality and property
On 10/02/23, a judicial notification was sent to the defence declaring him a traitor to the country and stripping him of his civil rights. He was exiled to the United States on 9/2/2023.
Any other relevant documents
(AI translated) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Precautionary Measures No. 671-18 https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/decisiones/pdf/2018/50-18mc671-18-ni.pdf
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion No. 73/2022, A/HRC/WGAD/2022/73 https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/detention-wg/opinions/session95/A-HRC-WGAD-2022-73 -Nicaragua-AEV.pdf
Interim Measures granted by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on 24 June 2021 https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/medidas/45personas_se_02.pdf
Attachments
Documented by
- Country(ies) of nationality
- HRD's year of birth
- 1976
- HRD's Gender
- Man
- Type of HRD
- Social and community leader
- HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
- Organization affiliation
- Unidad Nacional Azul y Blanco (UNAB)
- Unión Democrática Renovadora (UNAMOS)
- HRD's Picture
- HRD's bio and work
(AI translated) Félix Maradiaga was born in Jinotega on 23 September 1976. Between 1997 and 2001, he was director of the Office for the Reintegration of Ex-Combatants, contributing to the efforts to disarm, demobilise and reintegrate members of the Nicaraguan guerrilla movement. In 2004, he was appointed Secretary General of the Nicaraguan Ministry of Defence. From 2011 onwards, he served as academic coordinator of the Civil Society Leadership Institute. In 2017, he was appointed Executive Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Public Policy (IEEPP), where he focused his work on researching the impact of corruption on public administration.
In 2018, he joined the Blue and White National Unity (UNAB) movement, one of the main opposition groups formed in the wake of the protests and repression by Daniel Ortega's government. In September 2018, he testified before the UN Security Council on the government's repression. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued against him, accusing him of ‘organised crime and financing terrorism’, which forced him to leave the country, returning in September 2019.
He ran for president in the 2021 Nicaraguan national elections, but was arrested on 8 June 2021 and released on 9 February 2023, when he was exiled to the United States along with 221 other political prisoners.
On 15 October 2024, he was appointed president of the Latin American Liberal Network (RELIAL). On 18 November 2025, he was appointed president of the World Liberty Congress, which brings together pro-democracy activists and opposition movements from around the world. On 24 November 2025, from exile, he announced the founding of a new opposition party, ‘La Ruta del Cambio’ (The Road to Change).
- HRD's geographical origin
- Urban
- Country or area of detention
- Region of detention
- Americas: Latin America and the Caribbean
- Location of detention - City/Town
- Managua
- Location of detention - Facility
- Dirección de Auxilio Judicial «Evaristo Vásquez» conocido como el Nuevo Chipote
- Geolocation of detention
Latitude: 12.096942985994628
Longitude: -86.2812758311463
- Geolocation of detention
- Detained since
- Jun 8, 2021
- Current Status
- Released
- Date of release
- Feb 9, 2023
- Charge(s)
- Subversion
- Sentence
(AI translated) 13 years in prison
- Recent case update / evolution
(AI translated) Exiled and stripped of his nationality and property
On 10/02/23, a judicial notification was sent to the defence declaring him a traitor to the country and stripping him of his civil rights. He was exiled to the United States on 9/2/2023.
- Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
(AI translated) They did not take him out into the courtyard, he remained in darkness, they did not allow him to talk to other political prisoners, a guard was outside all the time to prevent him from talking. They did not allow him to pray or kneel.
He was held in a punishment cell for 12 days for going on hunger strike.
- Any other relevant documents
(AI translated) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Precautionary Measures No. 671-18 https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/decisiones/pdf/2018/50-18mc671-18-ni.pdf
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Opinion No. 73/2022, A/HRC/WGAD/2022/73 https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/detention-wg/opinions/session95/A-HRC-WGAD-2022-73 -Nicaragua-AEV.pdf
Interim Measures granted by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on 24 June 2021 https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/medidas/45personas_se_02.pdf
- Documented by
- Consent status
- Consent to register, store and publish the information
Supporting files
sorted by
Date added
3 relationships, 2 entities