The Nicaraguan government led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has implemented policies that effectively deny pensions to political opponents who have fled the country, labeling this action as a "transnational punishment." A significant portion, about 20%, of the nearly 800,000 Nicaraguans who have sought refuge abroad since 2018 are of retirement age, facing a future without the financial support they had come to rely on.

The situation highlights the grim realities faced by individuals like journalist and feminist Sofía Montenegro, who after being stripped of her Nicaraguan citizenship and assets for political reasons, discovered that her retirement account had been frozen. This move by the Ortega regime demonstrates a broader strategy of exerting control over dissenters even after they have left the country, emphasizing that the government views retired positions not just as benefits but as privileges that can be revoked under the pretense of political loyalty.

This denial of pensions represents a significant violation of rights and raises questions about the treatment of exiled Nicaraguans, who now find themselves without the economic safety nets that retirement benefits are meant to provide. The implications of such policies extend beyond individual experiences, as they may discourage political dissent and exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation for those fleeing authoritarianism in Nicaragua.