On May 3, author Martha Patricia Molina delivered the third part of her article "Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church?" through a Zoom conference from exile. A total of at least 529 attacks, including 90 so far in 2023, have been made against the Church in Nicaragua under the Daniel Ortega dictatorship over the past five years, according to the research.
The Ortega administration engaged in a number of "hostilities, persecution, sieges, desecration, destruction, robbery, expulsions, and confiscations" against religious leaders and institutions, as Molina described in her presentation. The report's results provide a bleak picture of the nation of Central America's continued attack on religious freedom.
Nicaraguan Catholic Church Under Siege: New Report Reveals Hostilities and Persecution Since 2018
According to the Catholic News Agency, the "imprisonment of committed religious and lay leaders" inside the Nicaraguan Church was another issue raised by Molina. These people's illegal detention further shows the dictatorship's intolerance and commitment to repressing all opposition.
The ongoing persecution of the Church in Nicaragua is a blatant sign of how badly things are going for human rights there. With the publication of her most recent report, Molina seeks to increase public awareness of the situation of the Nicaraguan people and the Ortega dictatorship's steadfast violations of their fundamental rights.
The enormous hostility and persecution the Catholic Church in Nicaragua has endured since April 2018 have been made public by a recent report. In the article shared in National Catholic Register, the extensive information, written by a specialist in corruption and the rule of law, describes numerous assaults on the Church, such as the unfair imprisonment of Bishop Rolando Lvarez for more than 26 years, the expulsion of 32 religious people, the seizure of seven Church-owned properties, and the closure of various media outlets.
The report, which spans the period of April 2018 to March 2023, is divided into four chapters. A chronicle of heresies, blasphemies, assaults, robberies, and attacks on the Church, as well as a methodical examination of the ongoing wars, are among the noteworthy incidents.
The expert stressed the crucial part that the public played in aiding the overwhelmed Church, recording incidences of church damage, and monitoring attacks on priests and nuns. The research also identifies rising anxiety among the laity that prevents them from reporting unfriendly acts and keeping records of them.
Also Read: Nicaragua Dictatorship: Restrictions of President Daniel Ortega During Holy Week
Nicaragua's Freedom of Expression and Association Under Attack
Freedom of speech and association are seriously threatened in Nicaragua due to various violations that human rights advocates, journalists, and critics must endure. According to the website of Human Rights Watch, death threats, physical violence, intimidation, surveillance, and online defamation campaigns are frequently directed at these people. Police often detain and arrest people arbitrarily, stopping them from going about their regular lives or engaging in political activities.
For disseminating "fake news" and damaging national integrity, several journalists have been found guilty and given severe prison sentences. Numerous journalists have been forced into exile due to harassment directed at media organizations, which has caused newspapers and radio stations to close.
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