Colombia condemns Ortega regime's expulsion of critics 

Colombia’s government on Thursday condemned Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s decision to expel hundreds of political opponents and critics of the regime earlier this month, according to a statement by the Colombian Foreign Ministry. 

The new leftist government run by recently elected president Gustavo Petro also called for an international monitoring of Nicaragua and a criminal inquiry, calling the expulsion of political prisoners inhumane and arbitrary. 

"Colombia has registered with revulsion the measures taken in an arbitrary manner by the head of government of the sister and long-suffering Republic of Nicaragua against citizens of his country whose only crime has been to defend democracy, the right to criticism, and universal human rights," reads a statement from the Foreign Ministry. 

Earlier this month, Nicaragua released more than 200 political prisoners, including political leaders, students, activists, and priests who were critical of the regime.

The prisoners had their Nicaraguan citizenship revoked and put on a plane to Washington D.C. 

"Colombia... rejects the dictatorial procedures of those who bring to mind the worst moments of the Anastasio Somoza dictatorship," the Colombian foreign ministry said in the statement, referring to the right-wing Somoza family that Ortega’s Sandinista movement toppled in 1979. 

The Colombian Foreign Ministry said that it would offer Colombian citizenship to "those who have been abused by Nicaragua's intolerant government," following the footsteps of Spain and Mexico, which have offered the political prisoners similar promises. 

Colombia is the latest of several leftist governments from the region to criticize Ortega’s move. Chile and Mexico also slammed the expulsion of the opponents earlier this month.