Texas mission rejoices over freed Nicaraguan pastors

The Nicaraguan government on Thursday released the 135 prisoners into Guatemala as part of a deal between the two countries and the United States, the U.S. State Department said. In a joint statement Thursday, Guatemala and the United States said the Nicaraguan government unjustly detained the prisoners. The countries had negotiated for months with Nicaragua for the political prisoners, they added.

In a separate statement, the U.S. State Department accused Nicaragua of baselessly arresting people to stifle dissent against President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo. Other, remaining political prisoners and prisoners of conscience should be released by the Nicaraguan authorities, the U.S. State Department said.

Who are these 135 former prisoners? They include human rights workers, Catholic laypeople, and 13 individuals affiliated with Mountain Gateway, a Texas-based Christian missionary organization, the State Department said. WORLD earlier this year reported that Nicaraguan authorities arrested 14 individuals affiliated with Mountain Gateway on suspicion of organized criminal activity. 

What did Mountain Gateway say about its people being freed? In a statement to WORLD, the mission said the release was what they had prayed for and believed God would provide.

"These pastors and attorneys have suffered greatly for the sake of the Gospel, but it has not been in vain. The Kingdom of God is advancing because of their persecution. Today, we cry tears of joy because our brothers and sisters are free!” Mountain Gateway founder Jon Britton Hancock said in the statement. The mission said it planned to help individuals adjust to life outside prison and rejoin their families.

What happens to these people now? The United States, Guatemala, and relief organizations will provide them with food, lodging, and medical assistance in Guatemala, where they arrived on Thursday. The individuals will have the opportunity to move to the United States or go elsewhere, the State Department said.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report in The Sift about how Nicaragua has cracked down on religious freedom in recent months.