The Church of Nicaragua suffers great violence and repression
The latest events against Christians have put Nicaragua in the spotlight: “The siege of priests and bishops, the expulsion of members of religious communities, the desecration of temples and the closing of churches hurt us deeply. We express our solidarity and closeness to them,” said the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM).
Earlier this week, the Ortega regime violently closed down eight Catholic radio stations in Nicaragua. The stations affected are Radio Hermanos, Radio Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, Radio Nuestra Señora de Fátima, Radio Alliens, Radio Monte Carmelo, and Radio San José, operating in municipalities in the north of Nicaragua.
The persecution of the religious by the security forces is repeated with increasing frequency. The Bishop of Matagalpa, Msgr. Rolando Álvarez, showed through a video that a group of riot police prevented him and six priests from leaving the headquarters of the episcopal curia to celebrate Mass.
Another priest, Fr. Uriel Vallejos, and a group of faithful were detained by the police for three days in the parish house of Jesus de la Divina Misericordia, in the municipality of Sébaco, without letting them out and restricting their freedom.
US State Department Under Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols said in a tweet that “Ortega-Murillo’s brutal attack on Catholic clergy, radio stations, and community members in the municipality of Sébaco is another blow to the freedoms of religion and expression in Nicaragua.”
“How can men and women in uniform (many people of faith) carry out such orders?” he stressed. The European Union also ruled on the repressive acts against the Church and condemned the “arbitrary” closure of the stations.
“Excessive police force was used to occupy the premises and to intimidate and disperse unarmed protesters with tear gas and gunfire. This constitutes another violation of freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief,” Peter Stano, chief spokesman for European Union Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said in a statement.
“Since 2018, the Nicaraguan government has unleashed unprecedented levels of violence against its own people, using assassinations, enforced disappearances, imprisonment, harassment, and intimidation against political opponents, as well as journalists, human rights defenders, religious leaders, and others.” , they have added from the EU. In data, Nicaragua has more than 180 political prisoners, imprisoned without respect for the Nicaraguan Constitution, criminal law and due process.
“The Nicaraguan authorities must end all repression and restore full respect for all human rights. Likewise, the EU reiterates its urgent call to the Nicaraguan Government to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and annul all legal proceedings against them, including their convictions”, the EU has ruled.
The situation in Nicaragua has worsened enormously since the Daniel Ortega regime prevailed, since religious and believers do not have laws or security forces to ensure their rights.