The White House announced this week that it had brokered a deal with the Nicaraguan government to release 135 political prisoners on humanitarian grounds. Among those released were 13 people affiliated with Mountain Gateway, a Texas-based religious organization. Nicaragua, under the guidance of President Daniel Ortega, has received scrutiny for oppressing freedom of religion in the country. In response to the political prisoners being freed, Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) is sharing his "unwavering solidarity."
As part of the deal, 11 pastors from Mountain Gateway, an evangelical missionary church, were released. The group had been accused of using its nonprofit status as a front to purchase luxury goods, property, and land by the Nicaraguan government. There are also Catholic laypeople, students, and others that the Ortega regime deems a threat to their authoritarian government.
The political prisoners have been sent to Guatemala, and they will be processed as refugees.
Jake Sullivan, a National Security Advisor, made the announcement this week, affirming that "no one should be put in jail for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights of free expression, association, and practicing their religion."
After the announcement, Senator Cruz celebrated the "significant victory for freedom," adding that the members of Mountain Gateway "were unjustly targeted and detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights."
"As we welcome these Americans back home, our nation’s joint efforts with Guatemala will ensure that the freed political prisoners in Nicaragua receive the support of a just democratic society to rebuild their lives. I stand in unwavering solidarity with the Nicaraguan people, who deserve to have their voices heard and respected in peace.”
The release coincides with a report published by the United Nations human rights office, which documented the deterioration of human rights in Nicaragua. The report highlighted dozens of cases wherein detainees were tortured through various forms of electric shocks and sexual abuse. The report also indicated abuses against "not only those who express dissenting opinions, but also any individual or organization that operates independently or does not fall directly under their control."
