Christian leaders are being targeted.
Recently, seven priests from Nicaragua were sent to Rome as part of a more intense crackdown by President Daniel Ortega’s administration on the Catholic Church. This action is part of a larger government campaign aimed at stifling dissent within the church. Before their expulsion, the priests were under house arrest at the National Inter-Diocesan Seminary of Our Lady of Fátima. They left Nicaragua on Wednesday and reached the Vatican the following day. Their expulsion is the latest in a series of similar actions that have been ongoing since October 2022.
Among those expelled were prominent figures like Fathers René Vega Matamoros and Edgard Sacasa, who had assumed leadership roles in the Diocese of Matagalpa after Bishop Rolando Álvarez was exiled. Álvarez, a well-known critic of Ortega’s regime, had previously been expelled and sentenced to 26 years in prison. Other priests expelled included Father Marlon Velázquez, Father Jairo Pravia, Vicar Víctor Godoy, Franciscan Friar Silvio José Romero, and Father Harvin Tórrez.
This aggressive action is part of Ortega’s broader strategy to exert control and suppress opposition within the church. The government has resorted to extreme measures such as detaining priests without due process and exiling them. The Sandinista National Liberation Front, the ruling party in Nicaragua, has particularly targeted religious leaders.
The international community has condemned these actions. Organizations such as Christian Solidarity Worldwide have denounced the detentions as unjust and have called for global accountability. The Pontifical Mission Societies USA has urged for prayers for Nicaraguan clergy facing these severe challenges. Additionally, the U.S. State Department has designated Nicaragua as a “Country of Particular Concern” due to its religious freedom violations.
In response to the ongoing persecution, U.S. lawmakers have advocated for targeted sanctions against the Nicaraguan government. Reports suggest that over 200 religious figures have either fled or been expelled from Nicaragua in recent years. This intensified repression marks a significant escalation in the government’s efforts to suppress religious dissent and control the church.