The Nicaraguan government, under the control of Daniel Ortega, continuously carried out crackdowns on different organizations, targeting any organization deemed dangerous or at least opposing. Many times the targets were organizations connected to the Catholic and other Christian churches, or in many cases the persecution was directly targeting members of the churches. Numerous Catholic priests and laypeople were arrested or exiled from Nicaragua.

In a positive turn of events, the USA brokered a deal with the Orgeta regime, and 135 political prisoners were released from Nicaraguan prisons. Jake Sullivan, US National Security Advisor, confirmed that among the released there were 13 members of Mountain Gateway, a Texas-based Christian organization, lay Catholics, and students.

As part of the agreement, the released prisoners were transported to Guatemala. Local authorities and organizations welcomed the political prisoners. The US government furthermore offered an opportunity for the freshly released to “seek legal avenues” if they wish to start a new life in the US or other countries.

Source: Vatican News