Exiled opponent Douglas Castro lashed out on his Twitter account that he was unable to realize the scholarship he won to study a master’s degree at the University of Oxford in England, as all his attempts to obtain travel documents from his applicant status were unsuccessful. take refuge in Colombia.

Read also: “De facto stateless”. Nicaraguans without passports are imprisoned in their country

Castro was not on the list of 316 Nicaraguans who were denationalized and exiled for opposing Daniel Ortega’s dictatorship, but joins a growing list of others who were denied passport renewals abroad by Nicaraguan immigration authorities, leaving them “de facto stateless”.

“I am a refugee applicant in Colombia, an uncertain path and no deadline. A year ago I submitted my application and I am still waiting for a response. I just have a secure behavior that doesn’t allow me to work or study, a big obstacle to my future,” said the opponent.

I won a scholarship @UniofOxford to study the MSc in Latin American Studies at @LACOxford. However, I cannot confirm this achievement. Because? I am de facto stateless, the Ortega regime refuses to renew my passport, and I am in migration limbo in Colombia. 1/6. pic.twitter.com/CzMudBaH1y

— Douglas Castro (@doucastroq) June 16, 2023

Castro is 35 years old and hails from the municipality of Ocotal, Nueva Segovia. He studied economics at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN-Managua) and sociology at Central American University (UCA), also in Mangaua. In 2018, he participated in a civil protest against Ortega and later became a member of the Civic Alliance and is part of the Alliance of Universities of Nicaragua (AUN).

Also read: Nicaraguan citizens whose passports are refused by the regime face difficulties in other countries

Like dozens of opponents, Castro fled the country because of the persecution of the Ortega dictatorship in 2021. Although his political asylum is being processed in a country that promised to grant citizenship to stateless people, the process has not produced the results he hoped for.

“Fleeing from political persecution in Nicaragua, I ended up in Colombia, where the government promised aid to those persecuted by the Nicaraguan regime. I contacted the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for help. I filed two petitions and the response is not important,” he said.

Even in Colombia he could not study

Castro also notified Twitter that he won a Chevening scholarship from the UK, to study at the university or to undertake a master’s degree in Political Science at the London School of Economics or at the University of Essex, also in London. Likewise, he regretted that even in Colombia he was unable to study a master’s degree at the Universidad de los Andes, where he was also accepted.

“Without a passport and with that safe behavior, I found myself in migration limbo. The Ortega regime continues to violate our rights even though we are outside the borders of Nicaragua. Until now, promises of international protection were just that: promises”, said Castro.

Also read: Migration refuses to arrange passports for exiled relatives

Ortega’s dictatorship has left hundreds of Nicaraguans without passports, not only for being opponents, but also for being journalists, students, priests, doctors, and anyone who criticizes his regime. There are various testimonies from people who tried to renew passports and refused this procedure, others simply took it.