Increased Difficulties for Christians

Under the regime of President Daniel Ortega, life for Christians in Nicaragua has become increasingly difficult. Many Catholic priests have been detained, often for being overtly opposed to the abusive actions committed by the country's governing authorities. During the last week of December alone, nine priests were detained.

According to another report, between the years of 2019 and 2023, the Catholic church experienced 1,200 cases of aggression, including dozens of arrests and expulsions from the country. More recently, on January 14th of this year, 19 members of the Catholic clergy were expelled from their posts in Nicaragua and deported to the Vatican. Included among these clergymen was Bishop Rolando Alvarez, a prominent critic of the Nicaraguan president, who had earlier been sentenced to 26 years in prison on charges of treason.

While the Catholic church has been repeatedly harassed by the government, other organizations within the nation that stood against the regime were also targeted. In July 2023, the Red Cross was expelled from the country for criticizing the inhumane treatment of prisoners. The members of many other Christian organizations have been subjected to harassment and false allegations. Altogether, the government has seized the properties of numerous non-profit groups, including 256 evangelical Christian associations.

For one particular American-based agency, Mountain Gateway, this opposition has resulted in charges against 14 pastors, including three church leaders from the United States. All assets of the ministry were confiscated and the 11 Nicaraguan pastors, along with two lawyers, were accused of money laundering and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 12 to 15 years. Additionally, the Christians received huge fines of over $100 million CAD each. Charges have also been filed against the three American pastors. However, since these three Christian leaders were not in Nicaragua at the time of the arrests, they had not been detained.

Speaking of the difficult situation, Jon Britton Hancock, who serves as the President of Mountain Gateway, stated: "This is not the outcome we hoped for, and it is heartbreaking to know that people who we consider family are sitting in prison for sharing the Gospel. We trust that God is in control of this situation and have faith that He will have the final say on this all."

Despite the harassment and persecution, followers of Jesus throughout Nicaragua are continuing to practise their faith. A recent survey showed that 45 percent of the country's citizens identify themselves as evangelical Christians, with a similar percentage of the population referring to themselves as Catholics. Even so, lawyer Wendy Flores describes the persecution of Christians as a "silent" matter, since many in the country still support the government and others avoid addressing the injustices of the regime for fear of reprisals.

In the midst of the increased hostility from Nicaragua's governing officials, pray that Christians throughout the country will receive greatly needed wisdom. And whenever there is uncertainty as to when they should speak up and when they need to remain silent, may these believers receive the Holy Spirit's divine guidance. On behalf of all our imprisoned Christian brothers and sisters in Nicaragua, pray that the Lord will sustain each of them with His strength, encouragement and peace, while intervening in each of their legal cases so that they can be released from custody. Ultimately, may the powerful life-transforming message of the Gospel reach all levels of Nicaraguan society – including the country's leadership – so that many more people will come to know Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.