Nicaragua releases 135 political prisoners after US negotiations

The US and Nicaragua have reached an agreement resulting in the release of 135 Nicaraguan citizens who were being held as political prisoners. The released individuals include members of a Christian evangelical organization, specifically 11 pastors from an American missionary church. This development follows months of negotiations between the two countries. The prisoners were flown to Guatemala, where they will be processed as refugees. This release is part of a larger trend, as over 200 Nicaraguan political prisoners were freed and flown to the US last year. The Nicaraguan government, led by President Daniel Ortega, has been criticized for jailing hundreds of people since protests broke out against his rule in 2018.