During the Sandinista National Liberation Front effort to overthrow the Somoza family regime, Torres was the only guerrilla who participated in both the 1974 Christmas party raid that freed future President Daniel Ortega among other prisoners, and the 1978 raid on the National Palace, freeing another 60 political prisoners.

In the late 1990s he became a critic of Ortega, leaving the FSLN to join the Sandinista Renovation Movement and later its successor the Democratic Renewal Union, serving as vice-president of both parties.

[2] Torres studied law at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (though his passion was journalism) and like many other young dissidents, it was there that he was radicalized against the Somoza regime.

[6] In the 27 December 1974 Christmas party raid and hostage-taking at the home of José María "Chema" Castillo Quant, Minister of Agriculture,[4] attended by senior Somoza government officials and diplomats, Torres was second in command ("Comandante Uno", in the "Juan José Quezada" command) to Eduardo Contreras.

[7] Subsequent negotiations freed Sandinista political prisoners including future Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega,[7] who had been imprisoned for seven years for bank robbery.

[3] In the 1980s, Torres was honored with the Order of Carlos Fonseca, awarded to members of the government or party who demonstrated moral, ethical merit and adherence to constitutional principles.

[11] He split with the FSLN, becoming vice-president of the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS)[2] and for a time was an opposition deputy in the National Assembly with the MRS.[12] He particularly criticized Daniel Ortega's administration since the 2018 mass protests and the bloody suppression by the government.

"[7] As of 2021, Torres was vice-president of the Democratic Renewal Union [es] (Unamos) party, formerly the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS).