Sergio Ramirez Self-Departs as Documentary Spotlights Exiled Nicaraguan Author

Lead Sergio Ramirez, exiled Nicaraguan novelist and former vice president, voluntarily left U.S. immigration detention and returned to Mexico on September 7, even as a new documentary on his life debuted online on the previous day.

Nut Graf The contrasting developments underscore both the personal toll of U.S. immigration enforcement and the enduring international interest in Ramirez’s literary legacy and political exile. Ramirez’s self-deportation highlights ongoing policy debates, while the CONFIDENCIAL-produced documentary revisits his journey from Sandinista leader to Cervantes Prize-winning author.

Self-Deportation After Detention

  • Ramirez, 45, detained by ICE after a wrong turn near the U.S.-Canada border in late May, opted for voluntary departure following three months in custody and the prior approval of his green card application.
  • His wife, U.S. citizen Kristina Ramirez, criticized ICE for detaining Ramirez despite his valid work permit and Social Security number, describing lengthy interrogations that treated her as undocumented.
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection defended its actions, stating both were referred to secondary inspection due to missing travel documents and that Ramirez’s removal proceedings adhered to federal law.

Life in Exile Documentary

  • CONFIDENCIAL’s feature, released September 14 on Esta Semana, charts Ramirez’s 83-year-old literary career-from his Masatepe origins through his role in the 1979 Sandinista revolution to his departure from Nicaragua in 2021.
  • Filmed across Guatemala City’s National Palace of Culture and his Madrid apartment, the film includes interviews with figures like Cervantes Institute director Luis García Montero and writer Alma Guillermoprieto, reflecting on Ramirez’s global impact.
  • The documentary arrives amid Ramirez’s denationalization by Nicaragua’s Ortega-Murillo government, which stripped him of citizenship in February 2023, provoking his relocation first to Costa Rica and then to Spain.

Ramirez’s Next Steps

  • Back in Mexico, Ramirez plans to explore legal avenues to re-enter the United States, while continuing to advocate for democratic freedoms in Nicaragua through his writing.