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🇳🇮 Nicaragua /Elections & Politics

Exiled Nicaraguan Political Prisoner Releases Debut Poetry Book

From Confidencial · (36m ago) Spanish Mixed tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Nicaraguan political prisoner Carlos Bojorge has published his first poetry book, "Me duele hasta el aire" (It Hurts Me Even to Breathe), while in exile in California.
  • Bojorge was among 135 political prisoners exiled to Guatemala by the Nicaraguan government on September 5, 2024, an experience that deeply affected him.
  • The book, available on Amazon since February 2026, compiles poems written during his time as a missionary, in prison, and in exile, inspired by figures like Monseñor Romero.

From the heart of exile in California, Carlos Alberto Bojorge Martínez, a 24-year-old former political prisoner, has released his debut poetry collection, "Me duele hasta el aire." This poignant work, published by Confidencial, offers a raw and emotional glimpse into the experiences of those targeted by the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship.

It hurts me even to breathe the air that I don't breathe in my house, and there are days when I don't want to be here.

— Carlos BojorgeA quote from his book, expressing the pain and difficulty of his current situation.

Bojorge's journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit under oppression. Exiled to Guatemala on September 5, 2024, alongside 134 other political prisoners, he recounts the profound sense of betrayal and loss felt upon being forced to leave his homeland. The poem "Yo regresaré" (I Will Return), featured in the book, captures the anguish of that moment, a sentiment that resonates deeply within Nicaragua's diaspora.

Anger, pain, all the emotions.

— Carlos BojorgeDescribing his feelings when he was forced to choose between exile and remaining under the dictatorship's conditions.

Inspired by the prophetic voice of San Óscar Arnulfo Romero, Bojorge found solace and purpose in his writing. His visit to Romero's mausoleum in El Salvador ignited the idea to compile his life's work into a single volume. The collection spans his time as a religious missionary, his harrowing months in prison, and his current life in exile, with 90% of the poems written before his incarceration.

To make that decision for me was very difficult, I experienced a feeling of betrayal at that moment, I asked myself, at that moment, why do I have to leave? Why must I abandon my country?

— Carlos BojorgeRecounting his emotional turmoil upon learning of the exile option.

"Me duele hasta el aire" is more than just a book of poems; it is a powerful act of defiance and a testament to the enduring spirit of Nicaraguan youth. It speaks to the pain of separation, the longing for home, and the unwavering hope for a future where freedom prevails. This is a story that resonates differently within Nicaragua, where the voices of the silenced are often amplified by those who have managed to escape the regime's grip, offering a perspective often muted in international reporting.

Being in the cathedral, in that crypt, praying on my knees in that mausoleum, and feeling the presence of Monseñor Romero, a voice that prophesied freedom in his country. I could feel Romero's presence, saying that I could do something too.

— Carlos BojorgeDescribing the profound inspiration he felt at Monseñor Romero's tomb, which spurred him to publish his book.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Confidencial in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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