The Dissidents Archive project is a research initiative dedicated to collecting and preserving the filmed oral histories of dissidents under authoritarianism. The goal is the production of a documentary film and an audiovisual archive for public and academic documentation of resistance to authoritarianism.
This project began by bringing together prominent Nicaraguan political activists and opposition leaders now living in exile. The central participants are leaders in Nicaragua’s pro-democracy movement whose work was criminalized by the Ortega-Murillo regime. They were held as political prisoners for nearly two years before being forcibly expelled from the country.
Suyen Barahona, Violeta Granera, Evelyn Pinto and Tamara Dávila, May 2025, photo by Adam Baron-Bloch
In May 2025, the project documented the trajectories of Violeta Granera, Suyen Barahona, Tamara Dávila, and Evelyn Pinto through a series of filmed interviews. This convening marked the first time they had reunited in person since their release from prison and forced exile, creating not only a record of individual testimonies but also an opportunity for collective reflection among key opposition leaders and a space for their input and guidance on the project’s broader aims and direction.
In January 2026, the project expanded to include interviews with Juan Sebastián Chamorro and Victoria Eugenia Cárdenas.
Juan Sebastián Chamorro and Victoria Eugenia Cárdenas, January 2026, photo by Kathleen Flynn
All, with the exception of Cárdenas—who was a leading advocate on behalf of this group—are among the 222 individuals imprisoned for political reasons who, in February 2023, were deported to the United States by the Ortega regime and stripped of their rights, including their nationality.
The interviews were conducted by Nicaraguan journalist Lucydalia Baca, a reporter for La Prensa and currently based in Miami. Baca, who also shares the experience of repression and exile, brought her extensive journalistic expertise and deep understanding of Nicaragua’s political landscape to the project.
The directors of photography for the project have included Adam Baron-Bloch and Kathleen Flynn.
The Dissidents Archive is an ongoing project that includes voices and experiences of those who have been persecuted for their political activism under authoritarianism and democratic backsliding. Those interested in contributing to the project are invited to reach out.