Religious freedom is flagrantly violated in Nicaragua and persecution against the Catholic Church is growing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the last three weeks, Daniel Ortega’s dictatorship unjustly kidnapped and imprisoned at least 14 priests carrying out pastoral and worship functions during the Christmas season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A total of 18 Catholic religious are imprisoned: two bishops (Rolando \u00c1lvarez, from Matagalpa and Isidoro Mora, from Siuna), 13 priests and three seminarians. Added to that number are the deportation of 12 other priests in October 2023, the expulsion of Nuncio Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag and the Sisters of Charity in 2022, and the forced exile of Silvio Baez, auxiliary bishop of Managua, in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the last five years, the Sandinista dictatorship perpetrated more than 740 attacks against Christians: kidnappings, imprisonment, forced exile, closure of churches and radio stations, death threats, desecration of churches and prohibition of public acts of faith. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2023 alone, 275 such assaults were carried out. It was the most violent year against the Church during the lustrum. All because the Church does not bow to the regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, as is evident, there has been no political freedom in Nicaragua for years and human rights are systematically violated: elections are fraudulent, there are dozens of imprisoned opponents and hundreds exiled and stripped of their citizenship, more than 3,000 citizens’ organizations have been forced to close their doors, more than 200 journalists exiled, dozens of media closed, and more than half a thousand killed in acts of repression since 2018. We feel solidarity with all the families of the victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We ask the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for Central America, and the Organization of American States and its Human Rights System for a stronger position and a more effective articulation to stop this persecution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, we offer our full support to members of our network in Nicaragua, as well as to all our friends and allies who, from the front lines, are defending fundamental freedoms at this dark time for their country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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