Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, who also serve as co-leaders of the country, expressed their condolences on Monday following the death of Pope Francis, acknowledging that their relationship with the late pontiff had been “difficult” and “troubled.” Nicaragua officially suspended diplomatic ties with the Vatican during his papacy.

“Our relationship, as Nicaraguans who are believers, devoted and faithful to the doctrine of Christ Jesus, was difficult and troubled—unfortunately shaped by adverse and painful circumstances that were not always understood,” Ortega and Murillo wrote in a message of condolence.

“Despite the complexity and hardships, despite the manipulation we all know occurred, despite everything, we kept our hope alive through Christian faith,” they continued. “We understood the distance, and above all, the complicated and strained communication that prevented better relations. We also recognized the confusion caused by strident voices that disrupted any attempt at genuine interaction.”

Pope Francis had previously compared the Ortega regime to communist dictatorships and even to Hitler, a remark that further strained relations between Managua and the Holy See.

U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, representing the state of Maryland, held a meeting in El Salvador with deported MS-13 gang member Kilmar Ábrego García, a member of the criminal group classified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.

“Kilmar Ábrego García, miraculously resurrected from the ‘extermination camps’ and ‘torture chambers,’ now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” wrote President Nayib Bukeleon X (formerly Twitter), sharing photos of Van Hollen, Ábrego García, and a lawyer sitting together at a Salvadoran hotel.

The deported gang member is seen wearing a plaid shirt and a flat-brimmed cap, seated at a table with glasses and coffee cups. The senator also shared images of the meeting on his own social media accounts.

Bukele reaffirmed that Ábrego will remain in El Salvador and will not be returned to the United States.

“Now that his health has been confirmed, he has earned the honor of remaining under the custody of El Salvador,” Bukele added.

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the senator’s meeting with Ábrego on Truth Social, calling Van Hollen “a fool” for advocating for Ábrego’s return to the U.S.

A group of human rights lawyers has filed a complaint against Costa Rica, alleging that the Central American nation violated the rights of dozens of migrant children by detaining them in a rural facility for nearly two months after they were deported from the United States in February.

The children — some as young as 2 years old — are part of a larger group of migrants, mainly from Afghanistan, China, Russia, and other Asian countries, who were deported from the U.S. as part of a broader immigration crackdown under former President Donald Trump.

Many had hoped to seek asylum in the U.S. and expressed fear about returning to their home countries. Instead, they were dropped off in Costa Rica and Panama, where they do not speak the local language. Originally intended as brief transit points, these countries have become a state of limbo, with migrants stuck for over 50 days.

Critics argue this is part of a U.S. strategy to “export” its deportation process, while human rights advocates warn that Costa Rica and Panama are becoming a “black hole” for deported migrants.

In Costa Rica, around 200 migrants — including 81 children — were taken to a rural migrant processing center near the border with Panama and held in a building that once served as a factory.

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The complaint, filed Thursday night by the Global Strategic Litigation Council (GSLC) and other human rights groups, was submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, alleging that Costa Rica breached international agreements under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Silvia Serna Román, one of the attorneys involved, said the migrants were detained without legal status and had no access to education or mental health services in their native languages. The prolonged detention is raising concerns about long-term psychological effects on the children, as many parents report signs of emotional distress such as isolation and sadness.

“These children are in a very crucial stage of development, and they’ve already fled difficult conditions in their home countries,” Serna Román said on Friday. “Now, they’re being subjected to prolonged detention and inhumane treatment. Parents are worried.”

Serna Román also said the migrants have had little access to legal counsel. The Costa Rican government has stated that detainees can leave the facility if they agree to return to their countries of origin or apply for asylum in Costa Rica.

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