On January 3, dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured in Caracas. This event shook the Nicaraguan dictatorship, an ally of the Venezuelan regime, prompting them to convene an urgent meeting headed by Rosario Murillo.

According to data from the Blue and White Monitoring organization (Monitoreo Azul y Blanco), at least 60 Nicaraguans were arrested for celebrating Maduro’s arrest after Rosario Murillo ordered increased surveillance in neighborhoods and on social media.

On January 10, the regime released at least 20 political prisoners, claiming it was to commemorate Ortega’s 19 years in power. Hours earlier, relatives of prisoners had been summoned early in the morning to La Modelo prison in Tipitapa.

The day before, the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua posted a message on its X account, saying:

Venezuela took an important step toward peace by releasing a large number of political prisoners. In Nicaragua, more than 60 people remain unjustly detained or disappeared, including pastors, religious workers, the sick, and the elderly. Peace is only possible with freedom!

The prisoners’ freedom is incomplete because those released were sent to their homes under house arrest and must report themselves regularly to the police.

The Mechanism for the Recognition of Political Prisoners in Nicaragua reports that at least 40 people remain imprisoned for political reasons.

The exact number of political prisoners is unknown because many relatives do not report the arrests for fear of reprisals.

Although Trump has not directly mentioned Nicaragua in his statements, the United States government has issued messages condemning the Ortega regime.