The Nicaragua government has dramatically escalated its repression of the Catholic Church and civil society, with more than 870 church attacks reported since 2018.
Under President Daniel Ortega, incidents against the Catholic church have included arson, harassment and the arrest of clergy.
This crackdown reflects the Ortega regime’s broader strategy to silence dissenting voices, particularly those within the Church, which has been one of the government’s most outspoken critics.
In August 2024, the Nicaraguan government took further steps to dismantle civil society by revoking the legal status of 1,500 non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
There are 678 Catholic and evangelical NGOs in the group that have been closed, including the diocesan Caritas of Matagalpa, a Catholic charity known for its extensive humanitarian work.
The government justified this move by claiming that these NGOs failed to meet financial reporting requirements. However, critics argue this is part of a systematic effort to eliminate opposition.
The assets of these shuttered organisations have been transferred to the state, raising concerns about the government’s increasing control over civil society.
Clergy forced to leave
The Catholic Church, particularly in the Diocese of Matagalpa, has been a primary target of the Ortega regime.
In early August, two more priests were exiled from the country, joining a growing list of clergy forced to leave Nicaragua under duress.
The exiled priests had been under house arrest before their expulsion, part of a broader crackdown that has seen religious leaders detained, held incommunicado and forced into exile.
Bishop Rolando Álvarez is among those exiled. Álvarez is a prominent critic of Ortega and was sentenced to 26 years in prison before being forced to leave Nicaragua in February 2023.
The regime’s actions, including the church attacks, have drawn sharp criticism from the international community, with human rights organisations and religious freedom advocates calling for increased pressure on Nicaragua. There have been calls for targeted sanctions against Nicaraguan officials responsible for these human rights violations.
The Vatican, which has seen its diplomatic relations with Nicaragua deteriorate sharply, has also condemned the ongoing persecution of the Church. Closing the Vatican’s nunciature in Managua in March 2023 marked a low point in relations between the Holy See and the Ortega regime.
Sources