Opponents describe hideous conditions in Nicaraguan prisons

By GISELA SALOMON
Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Constant fear. Threats. Screams. Darkness. Cells measuring 6 feet by 9, with a hole in the floor for a toilet. Nicaraguan opposition prisoners have recounted the months, and sometimes years, they spent in the notorious prisons run by the regime of President Daniel Ortega. Water was in short supply, and what little food there was, was often rotten beans. Earlier this month, 222 opposition figures and journalists arrested by Ortega were flown to Washington. They began telling stories of the harsh conditions in prison, where visits were strictly limited.