Latest news with #Castro
DW
10 hours ago
- Politics
- DW
Nicaraguan exiles and the emotional value of objects
This guest article, by a Nicaraguan journalist in exile, is part of the Casa para el Periodismo Libre project, developed by DW Akademie and its partner IPLEX in Costa Rica. For many Nicaraguans forced to flee their country amid the repression of the Ortega-Murillo regime, each object they manage to take with them across the border represents a tangible connection to the past, an emotional anchor in the face of uprooting and, above all, a promise: to return someday. San José, Costa Rica. This is the story of an exiled journalist and his collection of keys. He calls himself *Castro, in homage to the surname of an influential high school teacher in Managua who, upon discovering his talent for Spanish and oratory, suggested he study journalism. Even before leaving, *Castro swore to himself that he would return, that he would open the door to his house, embrace his family and sit on the porch to play with his dog and greet neighbors under the shade of the Indian Laurels that he himself had planted ten years before. He set off on a windy early morning in February 2022. He carried a change of clean clothes, three pieces of underwear, two pairs of balled-up socks, a blue and white scarf, a hand towel, bathing slippers, deodorant, toothpaste, a toothbrush and a bottle of aspirin. Everything fit, tightly, into a Totto school bag belonging to his teenage daughter. In an inside pocket, five keys attached to a stainless steel Victorinox key ring. His house keys. His pride. His inheritance. The fruit of years of bank debt and of surviving on a journalist's salary. He knew every nail, every crack, every corner of that house that he had worked on with his own hands. Each lock told a story: the street lock was opened by a key with traces of red paint; the gate by a key with two parallel notches; the main door by an elongated one with white spots. The other two, smaller, opened the inner gate and the garage lock. He traveled the more than 200 kilometers from Managua to the border post of Las Manos, adjacent to Honduras, listening to the metallic jingle of the keys at the bottom of his backpack. Already on the other side, exhausted after dodging soldiers and police, he took them out and put them in his jeans pocket. From then on, that sound accompanied him for thousands of kilometers, until he settled in a county east of Los Angeles. There, for the first time, he hung them on the key ring of his new home. And then he cried. He cried with the heartbreaking certainty that he might never wear them again. The suitcase and few belongings of a Nicaraguan journalist exiled in Costa Rica Image: La Prensa Chronicle of everything in the suitcase In November 2024, during a podcast workshop for exiled journalists which is part of the Casa para el Periodismo Libre project in Costa Rica, someone shared the story of a communicator who, upon fleeing the country, chose to take only one thing with him: a family photo kept inside a Bible. It was the last image, taken of him at Christmas 2021, showing him with his family. Based on this testimony, other exiles were asked what objects they took with them and what those objects meant. The responses were poignant: keys, stuffed animals, boots, video object carried a story of love, pain and memory. Some names in this article have been changed by express request, to protect the families that remain in Nicaragua and continue to be targets of reprisals. *Castro recalls the symbolic value of his keys jingling: "It was a promise I repeated to myself every day," he says, holding back tears. *Lucia, a 14-year-old teenager who fled with her journalist mother, chose three stuffed animals from her childhood. She could not take her guitar, flute, nor her books or watercolors. "She doesn't play with them anymore," said *Carmen, her mother. "She has them as if on an altar, among posters of her favorite singers. It's her way of remembering that she was happy, even though now she is far from home." There is also Óscar Navarrete, a photographer for La Prensa, who still has the boots, backpack and hat he wore when he crossed the border. "Each print on my boots is a story of struggle," he says. *Ana, a doctor and feminist activist, keeps intact the sneakers with which she was expelled by a patrol in Peñas Blancas, on the Costa Rican border. "I went to many marches with them. With them I will return," she says firmly. The young poet and journalist José Cardoza brought with him a Kodak camera inherited from his grandfather. "I learned to communicate with that camera before I could speak. Today it connects me with the memory of my family," he shared. And *Raul J. keeps a picture of the last Christmas spent with his grandparents, taken a month before leaving. Both passed away two years later. "It's painful, but essential not to forget," he said in a low voice, trying to contain himself. The intimate corner of *Lucia: she prioritized in her backpack objects that represent her happy childhood in Nicaragua Image: La Prensa Nobody leaves because they want to On October 30, Linda Núñez, sociologist and coordinator of Education and Memory of the Human Rights Collective Nunca Más (Never Again), presented in San José the report Nadie se va porque quiere. Voces desde el exilio (Nobody leaves because they want to. Voices from exile), an investigation by Eduardo González Cueva and María Alicia Álvarez based on the testimonies of 40 people displaced by repression. The study, supported by the Mesoamerican Women Human Rights Defenders Initiative (Iniciativa Mesoamericana de Defensoras de Derechos Humanos, in Spanish) and American Jewish World Service (AJWS), documents how the Nicaraguan regime's persecution has forced thousands to flee: activists, opponents, journalists, human rights defenders. The crackdown that followed the April 2018 protests was the tipping point. More than 800,000 people have left the country. Some fled after death threats, others after arbitrary arrests or constant surveillance. Of those interviewed, 45 per cent managed to barely prepare for their departure. The rest fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The experience of exile, the report points out, fractures life projects, separates families, destroys stability and leaves a wound that never heals. The stories describe anguish, guilt, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Many also face xenophobia and discrimination in their host countries, with no access to psychological support. Even so, 87.5 per cent report that they dream of returning, despite knowing they will return to a different Nicaragua. "This report documents crimes against humanity," said Núñez. "The Ortega-Murillo regime has destroyed not only individuals, but also their environments." Among the testimonies, one stands out: an exile keeps the key to his house as a symbol of hope. "Only the body passes, but the soul stays on the other side," said Núñez. A Nicaraguan family hid their passports in a chess box to avoid the army seizing them on their migratory route Image: La Prensa Sailboat and anchor The objects that exiles carry are not only memories: they are sailboats that push them forward and anchors that tie them to what they were. This is how Mexican psychologist Perla Guerra explained it to *Castro when he asked her about the emotional meaning of his keys. "An object is a treasure if it gives you hope and comfort. If it causes you suffering, maybe you haven't healed enough," she told him. Specialists agree that these objects help exiles process migratory mourning, maintain memories and reconstruct identities broken by exile. But they warn that excessive attachment can also hinder adaptation. *Carmen, mother of *Lucia, received the recommendation to carefully observe how her daughter interacted with her stuffed animals. "They can be a source of comfort, but if there is an inordinate attachment, you have to create an environment that gives her security without being trapped in the past," she was advised. In December 2024, Mexican journalist Patricia Mayorga - displaced by violence in Chihuahua - shared her experience at a meeting on migration in San José. She asked attendees to take with them the objects they had carried in their exodus and to tell their stories. Keys, backpacks, photos, amulets, piled on the table, each with its emotional charge. "These objects," said Mayorga, "help to cope with the transition, but it is also necessary to learn to let go in order to heal." She herselfhad filled her home in exile with memories of Chihuahua. This transformed her surroundings into a space of gratitude rather than nostalgia. "I didn't make an altar to cry," she said. Instead, the exercise opened up a necessary debate: to what extent is it healthy to hold onto such objects? How do they influence our ability to heal? *Castro was also there. He had returned from California to join his family in Costa Rica. He said that, with pain, he decided to send back to Nicaragua the keys he had been carrying since his first day of exile. The police had begun to harass his family and he feared for them. So, he handed over control of the house to relatives. It was his way of coming full circle. To accept that he might not open that door again, but also to take one more step toward the reconstruction of his life. The metallic sound of the keys, which once accompanied him as a promise, is now just an echo that belongs to another life. *The real names have been changed for security reasons. This text is part of the series Contar el Exilio (Narrating the Exile), produced in collaboration with DW Akademie, the Institute for Press and Freedom of Expression (IPLEX) and the Latin American Network of Journalism in Exile (RELPEX). This series, in turn, is part of the Space for Freedom project within the framework of the Hannah Arendt Initiative, funded by Germany's Federal Foreign Office.
The Star
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
‘Wait and see,' says Philippine palace to fugitive Harry Roque's ‘come and get me' taunt
MANILA: Malacanang on Friday (June 20) told former Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (pic) to 'wait and see' when the government will bring him back to the Philippines. This was the response of Palace press officer Claire Castro to Roque's question on why the government allegedly cannot get him out of The Netherlands and back to the country. 'According to the DOJ [Department of Justice], they are simply waiting for a formal notice regarding his asylum. If he is saying, `Come and get me,' then the government's response is: `Wait and see,'' Castro, speaking in mixed Filipino and English, said at a briefing. She also hit out at Roque for calling the DOJ's announcement of his asylum application rejection 'fake news,' warning him not to take the agency's intelligence and assets lightly. 'He should not underestimate the intelligence and assets of the DOJ, and we will not telegraph the government's moves the way he does,' said Castro. Antipolo City 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop said that choosing not to pursue the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte would convey the wrong message—that justice is selective and only applies to the poor and powerless. Roque's asylum application in The Netherlands was denied, and he has reportedly applied for another one, this time in Germany, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla. He, however, denied this, saying: 'I am not surprised that the Marcos Jradministration, through the Department of Justice (DOJ), has become a purveyor of fake news. That's strike two for the DOJ Secretary. First, he claimed I supposedly have multiple passports. Now, he's saying my asylum was denied.' - Philippines Daily Inquirer/ANN
Filipino Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Filipino Times
Marcos open to discussing ICC return, UN expert's human rights recommendations under study
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to discussing the recommendations of a United Nations expert on improving the country's human rights situation, including the possible return of the Philippines to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a press briefing that while there are no formal discussions yet, the president has previously indicated openness to rejoining the ICC. 'Open po siya. No'ng huli po kaming nag-usap… sinabi niya open naman po siya,' Castro said, emphasizing that this was based on past conversations with the president. [Translation: He's open. During our last talk—since this has come up before—he told me he's open to it.] Marcos earlier said the matter of rejoining the ICC remains under study. The Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, in 2018 during the Duterte administration. The withdrawal took effect in 2019. Former President Rodrigo Duterte is currently detained by the ICC over alleged crimes against humanity tied to his administration's war on drugs. The potential return to the ICC is one of several recommendations made by UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan, who visited the Philippines in 2024 to assess the state of freedom of opinion and expression. Khan's full report, released this week, acknowledged reforms taken under the Marcos administration but said these are not enough to fully move on from past abuses. 'The government must embark on more significant legal, policy, and institutional changes to demonstrate its commitment to freedom of expression,' Khan said. She also urged the Philippines to ratify key human rights treaties, including the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Among her more controversial proposals was the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), citing its role in red-tagging and other alleged violations. Khan recommended that the government adopt an executive order to formally denounce red-tagging and implement accountability measures for those who engage in the practice. Castro said the administration welcomes the international recognition of its current human rights efforts, and affirmed that the president would carefully study Khan's recommendations. 'Ang suggestion ng UN rapporteur, ito ay magandang suggestion… Pag-aaralan po ito ng mabuti ng pangulo,' she said. [Translation: The UN rapporteur's suggestions are good… The president will study these carefully.]
GMA Network
13 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Gov't studying to impose 50% discount for senior citizens riding LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3
The government is studying if the increase of discounts given to students when riding the LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 could also be applied to senior citizens, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said Friday. ''Inaaral pa po iyan,'' Castro said during a press briefing. (That is being studied.) ''As much as possible, kung puwede nga pong ilibre lahat, iyon ang gusto ng Pangulo. Pero aaralin po iyan at hindi naman po natin agad-agad maibibigay or kakayaning maibigay. Inaaral po ngayon iyan sa kasalukuyan,'' she added. (As much as possible, the President wishes to make it free for everyone. But, we will study that and we cannot implement that immediately. That is being studied.) The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has announced the increased discount for all students from 20% to 50% for LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 starting Friday. Under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, Student Fare Discount Act, and Magna Carta for Persons with Disability, senior citizens, students, and persons with disabilities are entitled to a 20% discount in public transportation fares. The promo is valid for Single Journey Ticket only and not applicable for Beep Cards or Stored Value Tickets. Students must buy the ticket at the ticket counter to avail of the promo. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
14 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Palace on VP Sara's trip to Australia: Personal or for country?
''Pang personal o pang bayan? That is the question.'' This was the reaction of Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro on Friday as regards the travel of Vice President Sara Duterte to Australia for a personal trip. Castro said it would be Duterte's choice if she prefers to travel. The Office of the Vice President (OVP) revealed that her itinerary includes attendance in the "Free Duterte Now" rally on Sunday, June 22, in Melbourne. The elder Duterte is currently detained at the Scheveningen Prison in The Hague, Netherlands over charges of crimes against humanity for the extrajudicial killings during his administration's war on drugs. GMA News Online has reached the OVP for comment on Castro's remark but it has yet to reply as of posting time. Last week, the Vice President traveled to Kuala Lumpur for a personal trip with her family. While in Malaysia, she attended a Philippine Independence Day celebration and engaged in a program consultation with overseas Filipino workers. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
