The cast of Riverdale has spoken out in support of creator and executive producer Robert Aguirre-Sacasa after the Nicaraguan government abducted his father.
Aguirre-Sacasa's father, Francisco Aguirre-Sacasa, who served as Nicaragua's ambassador to the U.S. from 1997-2000, was an outspoken critic of President Daniel Ortega's regime before the government arrested and kidnapped him in July. In an exclusive video for Deadline, Archie Andrews actor K.J. Apa and his fellow Riverdale stars voiced their support of Aguirre-Sacasa's father.
"Over the years, all of us who have been part of making this show [have] become a family," said Apa. “And right now, someone from our family needs your help," added Casey Cott, who plays Kevin Keller on the series.
Aguirre-Sacasa also provided an update on his father's situation, revealing his mother was recently allowed to visit him at the El Chipote federal prison in Managua. "The bad news is that two days after that visit, my father was officially charged -- for treason and conspiracy, which are completely bogus charges," he added. "Other political prisoners have also been charged for various made-up crimes. That means my dad’s no longer ‘under investigation for 90 days,’ as he had been, and can now be imprisoned indefinitely.”
While the Riverdale showrunner said he and his family are "staying hopeful," he admitted it's hard in light of what they're heard about the terrible conditions his father and other prisoners are suffering under.. "As for next steps, we’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing -- getting the word out about my father and the other prisoners. Trying to raise awareness about the human rights violations happening in Nicaragua on a daily basis," he said. "In the meantime, my dad has a private hearing coming up in front of a judge, so we’ll see what happens at that."
Acquirre-Sacasa, who is also the Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics, added that he was "completely blown away” by the cast's devotion to using their social media platforms to further raise awareness about the situation in Nicaragua. "We will continue to fight and speak out against the injustices happening to our father and the other prisoners,” he added.
Those wishing to help can share the Riverdale cast's video on social media with the hashtags #FreeFrancisco and #SOSNicaragua.
Source: Deadline