The Dissident's Mic cover art

The Dissident's Mic

The Dissident's Mic

By: Human Rights Foundation
Listen for free

LIMITED TIME OFFER

£0.99/mo for the first 3 months. Terms apply.
The Dissident’s Mic is a two-person interview series featuring timely, in-depth conversations about authoritarianism around the world. Hosted by HRF staff members Casey Michel and Chelsea Hedquist, each episode is driven by a central compelling question and grounded in the firsthand experiences of dissidents resisting authoritarian power.Copyright 2026 Human Rights Foundation Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • What Happens When You Run Against a Dictator?

    What Happens When You Run Against a Dictator?
    Jul 22 2026

    Félix Maradiaga knew Daniel Ortega would never allow a free and fair election in Nicaragua. He ran anyway.

    In 2021, the former presidential candidate challenged Ortega’s dictatorship to expose the regime’s sham election to the world. Instead, he was arrested, tortured, imprisoned for 611 days, and ultimately stripped of his citizenship.

    In this episode of The Dissident’s Mic, Casey Michel, Director of HRF’s Combating Kleptocracy Program, sits down with Nicaraguan political activist Félix Maradiaga to discuss his time as a political prisoner, why authoritarian regimes are increasingly working together to suppress dissent, and what gives him hope that democracy can still prevail.
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet