Megan Janetsky | The Associated Press

Nicaragua's government on Sunday blocked Cuban citizens from entering the country without a visa, effectively cutting off a key route for Cuban migration to the United States at a time when the Trump administration has put the Caribbean island in an economic chokehold.

The two men were among an exodus of political opposition and civil society leaders to flee Venezuela after Maduro was widely accused of stealing last year's election and the government detained more than 2,000 people.

The lower house of Mexico’s Congress has approved contentious legislation that would launch the most sweeping judicial overhaul of the century by requiring all judges to stand for election.