Following the publication of the Report of the ECLJ on the persecution of Christians in Nicaragua, Thibault van den Bossche, Advocacy Officer for Persecuted Christians, answers Carlos Zapata's questions for Aleteia. Interview published in Spanish in two parts here (part 1 and part 2) and translated into English:

1. Have you found a link between the public condemnations of the Pope or the Catholic Church abroad and the persecution taking place in Nicaragua?

The persecution of Christians in Nicaragua has led to public condemnations from Pope Francis. However, Ortega's reprisals have become increasingly severe, prompting Pope Francis to moderate and space out his statements. Unfortunately, if the Pope does not regularly speak about this persecution, it will remain unknown and, therefore, unpunished.

On March 6, 2022, Ortega expelled the Apostolic Nuncio, Monsignor Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag. On February 12, 2023, during the Sunday Angelus, the Holy Father expressed his sadness and concern following the 26-year prison sentence of Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, Bishop of Matagalpa, and the expulsion of 222 opponents to the United States.

On February 21, 2023, Ortega declared that a "mafia" within the Vatican decided the election of the Pope and high religious officials. On March 10, 2023, in an interview with the Argentine newspaper Infobae, the Pope referred to Daniel Ortega's "imbalance." He also compared Ortega's dictatorship to the communist dictatorship of 1917 and the Nazi dictatorship of 1935, calling them all crude dictatorships.

Ortega's response was swift: on March 17, 2023, he closed the nunciature and expelled Monsignor Marcel Diouf, who was serving as interim nuncio after the expulsion of Monsignor Sommertag a year earlier.

On January 1, 2024, during the Angelus, the Pope expressed his "deep concern" about the situation in Nicaragua, where "bishops and priests have been deprived of their freedom." On December 29-30, 2023, at least five priests were arrested.

On August 19, 2024, Ortega ordered the closure of 1,500 associations, mostly Christian, bringing the total number of civil organizations dissolved since 2018 to over 5,100. The Pope encouraged Nicaraguans to face these trials during the Angelus on August 25, 2024.

On December 2, 2024, in a letter to the Nicaraguan people, Pope Francis expressed his affection and closeness, especially during the novena of the Immaculate Conception. He encouraged the faithful to renew their trust in God and their loyalty to the Church, emphasizing that "faith and hope work miracles."

2. The report mentions the existence of a "pattern of systematic abuses" between 2018 and 2024. Based on new data currently being processed at the ECLJ, would you say that Ortega's systematic abuses have intensified in recent months?

The persecution against the Catholic Church, the only remaining critical and independent voice, has intensified in recent months.

On October 5, 2024, Spain announced it would grant nationality to 135 Nicaraguan dissidents who were stripped of their nationality and expelled on September 5, 2024, first arriving in Guatemala. Among them were Catholic believers and thirteen members of the Texas-based evangelical missionary organization Mountain Gateway.

In November 2024, it was revealed that Daniel Ortega's government now prevents priests from visiting hospitals and administering the sacrament of the sick to patients.

On November 14, 2024, Bishop Carlos Herrera Gutiérrez, President of the Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference (CEN) and Bishop of Jinotega, was expelled by the Nicaraguan government to Guatemala. He is the third bishop exiled by Nicaraguan authorities, following Bishop Rolando Álvarez and Bishop Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, who were deported to the Vatican in January 2024. In April 2019, Pope Francis asked Auxiliary Bishop Silvio José Báez of Managua to go into exile after receiving death threats.

In early December 2024, the Nicaraguan government demanded that all remaining nuns leave the country before the end of the month. This came just days after Pope Francis's pastoral letter on December 2, 2024, addressed to the Nicaraguan people.

On January 16, 2025, the government ordered the confiscation of the San Luis Gonzaga Major Seminary, located south of Matagalpa, where 30 seminarians were being trained, as well as the La Cartuja Pastoral Center, belonging to the Diocese of Matagalpa. The diocese's bishop, Rolando Álvarez, has been in exile in Rome since January 2024 after being arrested in August 2022 and sentenced to 26 years in prison for "conspiracy" and "spreading false news."

On January 28, 2025, around thirty cloistered nuns from the Order of Saint Clare were forced to leave their monasteries in Managua and Chinandega by order of the Ortega government. This latest brutal and sudden expulsion is part of the increasing persecution of Christians by the Nicaraguan regime.

3. What were the biggest challenges in validating the information? Do you have allies on the ground to generate and verify data from Nicaragua?

We have obtained testimonies from religious leaders in Nicaragua, but their identities must remain confidential. Otherwise, obtaining information is extremely difficult, as potential witnesses fear reprisals against themselves or their relatives who remain in Nicaragua. We have been able to rely on the meticulous work of Martha Patricia Molina, a Nicaraguan lawyer and researcher currently living in exile in the United States since 2021. It is essential to cross-reference information and analyses from various press articles and institutional reports, such as those from the United Nations Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua.

4. You mention that the Ortega regime seeks to ban any activity it does not control and cite the closure of 5,600 NGOs, many of which are Christian. Could Ortega’s actions be inspired by a model of religious persecution already applied in other countries?

President Daniel Ortega's strategy in Nicaragua relies on the mass closure of civil society organizations, including many Christian ones. This approach follows a pattern observed in other authoritarian regimes. It aims to strictly control civil society, limit the influence of independent religious institutions, and prevent any social mobilization that could challenge their power. This is particularly the case in China and Russia, which, incidentally, are Nicaragua’s two main allies. However, we also see this form of Christian persecution resulting from restrictions on freedom of association in Algeria, a situation the ECLJ is also actively working on. In reality, the pattern is quite clear: the countries where Christians face the most persecution are either Muslim-majority or communist regimes.

5. Beyond the recommendations of the report, which action do you consider most effective in protecting the targeted religious figures: public condemnation or diplomatic action?

Public condemnation involves governments, international organizations, or influential figures publicly denouncing human rights violations in Nicaragua. Such condemnation can draw international attention to the abuses, put pressure on the government, and mobilize global public opinion. However, it can also provoke a defensive reaction from the regime, potentially leading to an escalation of persecution.

Therefore, public condemnation must be combined with diplomatic action, which includes negotiations, mediation, and pressure, but also targeted individual sanctions, such as those already imposed—though not firmly enough—by the United States and the European Union.

6. What conclusions do you hope to see in the Universal Periodic Review on the human rights situation in Nicaragua, which will be adopted in March 2025 during the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council?

Nicaragua has received 16 recommendations specifically calling for respect for religious freedom, as stated in the Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review of Nicaragua (A/HRC/58/17) dated December 24, 2024.

Specifically, Lithuania lamented the intensification of restrictions on civic space and the increasing repression against journalists, members of the Catholic Church, and other civil society groups since the previous UPR cycle. The United Kingdom expressed concern about the deterioration of human rights, citing church closures, harassment, civic space restrictions, media repression, and intimidation of Nicaraguans in exile.

Peru recommended ending actions that restrict civic and democratic space and halting harassment and intimidation against individuals deemed political opponents, particularly attacks against members of the Catholic Church. Portugal called for the restoration of legal status to dissolved media outlets and NGOs, including those affiliated with the Catholic Church, the return of their confiscated assets, and the implementation of concrete measures to protect the rights to freedom of expression, association, and religion. Slovakia urged Nicaragua to fully respect freedom of religion or belief and to end the persecution of the Catholic Church and its members.

While the international community has become increasingly aware of the persecution of Christians in Nicaragua, it will be crucial to observe how Nicaragua responds to these recommendations. Therefore, closely following the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council is essential. The ECLJ will organize a side event in early March in Geneva to continue raising awareness of the persecution of Christians in Nicaragua.

7. What can be expected for religious freedom in 2025?

The situation of religious freedom in Nicaragua in 2025 remains deeply concerning, with little sign of improvement in the short term. Daniel Ortega clings so tightly to power that since 2007, he has amended the country’s constitution over a dozen times. As of January 30, 2025, Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo are officially co-presidents, with no limit on the number of terms, holding absolute power. The couple now controls the legislative, judicial, and electoral bodies, as well as regional and municipal governments.

This consolidation of power has been accompanied by an intensification of persecution against Christians. Since 2018, more than 5,600 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including many Christian ones, have been dissolved by the government. Over 5,000 religious processions have been canceled, more than 5,600 associations have been shut down, 22 Christian media outlets have been censored, and 250 members of the clergy have been exiled, including four bishops.

The year 2025 began with a crackdown, marked by the closure of a seminary training 30 seminarians and the expulsion of 30 Claretian nuns.

Given these developments, the outlook for religious freedom in Nicaragua in 2025 is grim. Unless there is significant international intervention or a major internal change—akin to Saul’s transformation into Saint Paul on the road to Damascus—it is highly unlikely that the situation will improve in the near future.

8. What would you ask of God this year?

In the face of Christian persecution in Nicaragua, this year, I would ask God:

• Strength and courage for persecuted priests, religious, and believers, so they remain steadfast in their faith despite repression.
• Protection for those who are imprisoned, exiled, or threatened because of their religious commitment, so they may find refuge and support.
• Wisdom and conversion for oppressive leaders, that their hearts may open to justice and peace, and that they may end persecution.
• Justice and truth, so the world recognizes these sufferings and the international community takes concrete measures to defend religious freedom in Nicaragua.
• A wake-up call for Western Christians, that they do not become the "silent Church" out of comfort or fear, but instead alert, testify, and act against persecution in Nicaragua and beyond. May their freedom of speech not become a selfish privilege, but rather a tool of fraternity for those who have no voice.

May God enlighten consciences, comfort the persecuted, and turn this suffering into seeds of renewal and strengthened faith!