Regime attempts to impose religión without religious
In La Prensa, Dec 5, 2023
The Nicaragua Nunca + Human Rights Collective presented new documentation about attacks on the Catholic Church
The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo is trying to impose on Nicaragua religion without religious, as the constant attacks on the Catholic Church and their faithful show, lawyer Yader Valdivia pointed out, from the Nicaragua Nunca + Human Rights Collective.
Valdivia oversaw the presentation of the updating of the report Violations of Religious Liberty, States of Repression against the Church of Nicaragua, carried out in the period between 2019 and 2023 where they documented 1,200 testimonies of Nicaraguans who have been victims of different attacks for being connected to Catholicism.
“In the violations of the individual and collective practice of religious freedom, there is this replacement on that part of the State which is accompanying the operational suffocation of the Church. We can see how religious activities of the faith are cancelled or limited to being performed within the church, and on the other hand, how the State of Nicaragua has taken on these religious activities, as popular activities, like those of Santo Domingo, La Purísima or the Aquatic Way of the Cross, which they have attributed to INTUR and municipal governments” explained Valdivia.
The lawyer Juan Carlos Arce from the Human Rights Collective, for his part, indicated that to this is added the destruction of Catholic symbols, like the Sangre de Cristo [shrine] in the Cathedral of Managua.
“The social and political crisis of Nicaragua has worsened, like the persecution of the Government against any voice of protest, including that of the Catholic Church. The regime of Ortega and Murillo have referred to the bishops and Pope Francis in harsh terms and have accused them of leading an attempted coup,” indicated Arce.
During the presentation of the report they highlighted four key moments of the repression against the Church and how it has increased over time. The last period studied of this report was February 2023 to now, which has been characterized by tension and hostilities between the Government and the Catholic Church, since the ecclesiastical leaders during the civil society protests of 2018 publicly denounced the violations of human rights and the Rule of Law on the part of the Government.
Evolution of the Repression
Between April 2018 and March 2019 the campaigns of stigmatization and discrediting began, along with attacks on churches and the destruction of religious symbols, physical attacks on members of the Church, threats of death and detention, harassment and persecution of priests and their families, in addition to the suspension of funds for parishes and religious activities.
From April 2019 to January 2022 harassments, threats and detentions of the Catholic faithful continued to be registered. Also, the siege of churches in activities of commemoration and protests, detentions and murders increased.
In the third period of this report, which was February 2022 and January 2023, the rupture of relations with the Catholic Church was documented: expulsion of the Apostolic Nuncio, closing of communications media and universities and humanitarian associations connected to the Church, expulsion of religious and members of the Church, retention of passports and stripping them of their passports, prohibition of entry into the country or prohibiting their return. In this period the first detentions occurred of religious leaders.
Valdivia recalled that freedom of religion “is the right to choose which religion to profess and to worship without undue interference. The fundamental right to religious liberty or belief forms part of the origins of human rights treaties and conventions. This is related to the freedom to identify with a particular belief, as well as changing your religious confession, and even not having any particular religious affiliation. Religious freedom or freedom of belief is closely connected to the principle of human freedom and integrity in all its dimensions, as well as with the principle of plurality and diversity, taking into account the wealth of different religious and spiritual expressions which form part of our territories.”
Ongoing violation of the freedom of worship
The actions of the Ortega regime show the systematic violation of the individual and collective practice of the freedom of worship. This serious situation was mostly made evident during the celebrations of Holy Week, pointed out Valdivia, stating that it is a strategy so that the State might take control over these activities.
The objective of this action is to turn the religious festivities into political propaganda and a means to exercise control over the devoted citizen. “The establishment of these actions reflect a model of State control over religious activities, affecting the autonomy of the Church and its capacity to carry out traditional practices and festivities in an independent manner,” the report highlighted.
The Human Rights Collective also recalled that Mons. Rolando Álvarez remains in the jails of the dictator, the only political prisoner who is a priest. He was sentenced to 26 years for supposed crimes of betrayal of the fatherland and stripped of his nationality as a Nicaragua.
The photograph shows Mons. Roland Álvarez being examined by a doctor, but with a noteworthy loss in weight.
Mons. Rolando Álvarez in a photo shared by the Ministry of the Interior.
Mons. Rolando Álvarez in the Modelo jail in Tipitapa.