American politicians reported the release of 135 political and spiritual prisoners in Nicaragua. Among them are secular Catholics and 13 people associated with the Texas Evangelical Group, Mountain Gateway.
The U.S. State Department was working on releasing prisoners. National safety Advisor to president Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan, said that the release of those imprisoned was due to global pressure.
– No 1 should be imprisoned for the peaceful exercise of their fundamental rights to freedom of speech, association and practice of their religion said Sullivan.
Many freed people found shelter in Guatemala, whose government worked with the American authorities.
"The freed citizens of Nicaragua will now have the chance to apply for legal resettlement paths to the United States or elsewhere and start rebuilding their lives," wrote the State Department in a statement.
However, many opposition politicians are inactive behind bars in Nicaragua.
President Daniel Ortega's government has imprisoned hundreds of political opponents over the last six years. Repressions began after protests against Ortega's decision to increase social safety contributions.
The government expelled any of the nuncios of the Apostolic Archbishop Waldemar Sommertag from the country, closed Catholic schools and media. Tens of clergymen were imprisoned. In January 2024, the authorities agreed to release Bishop Roland Álvarez, who, along with seminarians, was yet sent to the Vatican.
Last week the authorities banned 169 NGOs, including Catholic and Evangelical organizations. The funds collected on the pension fund for Catholic priests were besides confiscated and taxation breaks for the Catholic Church and evangelical communities were abolished.
The State Department stressed that "Daniel Ortega, [a vice president] Rosario Murillo and their co-workers proceed to violate human rights, suppress legitimate opposition, keep opponents in prisons, occupy their property and prevent citizens from returning to their homeland". All political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Nicaragua were called upon to be released immediately and unconditionally.
Unpowerworthy persons go to prison under the pretext of committing "financial crimes" (money laundering) or due to recently established fresh crimes, specified as "dissemination of false messages" or "disputing national integrity". The government simply gags citizens' mouths without allowing freedom of expression.
According to the April study of the United States Commission on global spiritual Freedom on spiritual persecution in the world, Nicaragua is 1 of the top spiritual stalkers.
The Nicaraguan area was settled by Spanish colonists in the early 16th century. independency from Spain was announced in 1821. The country became an independent republic in 1838. In 1978, a civilian war broke out, which later brought to power the Marxist Sandinist guerrillas under the leadership of the presently ruling Daniel Ortega Saavedra. In response, the Americans launched a fight against the Sandinists.
Ortega lost the election in 1990, 1996 and 2001 to return to power in 2006. He besides won the election in 2011, 2016 and most late in 2021.
In 1983, Pope John Paul II publically reprimanded the Nicaraguan priest, the theologian of the liberation of Ernesto Cardenale, who fought in Sandinist militias during his visit to Nicaragua.
After the last election, the leader began to brutally dispute in the opposition. He closed over 3,300 NGOs, arrested dozens of opposition candidates for president, private sector leaders, NGO workers, human rights defenders, journalists and clergymen. As a consequence of the 2022 local elections, Sandinists regulation all the municipalities of Nicaragua. The power of 1 organization is increasing. The country is moving towards totalitarianism.
In 2023, the Nicaraguan court ordered the government to take over the Jesuits of the University of Central America, recognising that the university was a "centre of terrorism". His property was confiscated and the university stopped operating. Ortega does not let any institution to function that would not be under the control of power.
Ortega is criticized not only by Americans, but besides by leaders of any South American countries, including Chile and Colombia.
In the face of the persecution of the Church in Nicaragua, Pope Francis is silent. The Vatican is confined to short statements expressing "conturbation" of events in Nicaragua. any commentators point out that this is due to diplomatic caution, which dictates backroom action alternatively than direct media confrontation. Others believe that specified a policy only leads to a deterioration.
Source: catholicnewsagency.com, cia.gov
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