The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has undertaken a veritable anti-Christian crusade in Nicaragua, attacking mainly the Catholic Church, although Protestant denominations have not been spared from the anti-religious violence of the regime and, along with Catholicism, have been victims of confiscations, arbitrary imprisonments, exiles, stigmatizing campaigns and hate messages.
The Human Rights Collective Nicaraguas Never Again, in its Bulletin number 4, on freedom of worship in Nicaragua, points out that the situation that Christians are experiencing in the country, under the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship is one of “increasing, intense and systematic repression.”
Related news: Two priests and two laywomen join the list of those disappeared by the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship
The advocacy organization maintains that “multiple violations of religious freedom continue in Nicaragua, reflecting a panorama of increasing repression, with arbitrary arrests, direct attacks on religious leaders, stigmatization and hate messages in official statements regarding freedom of worship.”
The war against religion launched by Ortega and Murillo since 2018 has so far left at least 222 religious people exiled, including 91 nuns from different congregations.
According to information gathered by human rights defenders, the Sandinista regime has exiled 51 priests without prior trial, violating their rights to residence and freedom of movement in their own country.
Added to this is the imprisonment of 11 evangelical leaders of the Puerta de la Montaña church, who were accused of money laundering. They were found guilty in a trial without guarantees and without following due process and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 12 to 15 years.
Priests Denis Martínez García and Leonel Balmaceda, and laywomen Carmen Sáenz and Lesbia Gutiérrez are the four people who have been added to the list of “disappeared” at the hands of the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
They were kidnapped by the Sandinista Police and after more than 48 hours have passed, as established by law for bringing a detainee before a competent judge, their whereabouts are still unknown. With them, there are seven Nicaraguans who remain victims of the crime against humanity of forced disappearance.
Father Leonel Balmaceda, from the Jesús de Caridad parish in the municipality of La Trinidad, Estelí, was kidnapped on Saturday, August 10, and that same day the collaborators of the Matagalpa Curia, Carmen Sáenz and Lesbia Gutiérrez, were kidnapped.
Under the law, the Sandinista Police, the material author of the kidnapping, should have referred them to a competent judge no later than the third day, however, as of the issuance of this note, on Wednesday, August 14, 96 hours have passed, which is twice the legal deadline, and the regime has not given an account of them.
Nicaraguan beauty Sheynnis Palacios, Miss Universe 2023, will begin this week touring some countries on the African continent, after completing her visit to Panama, the 28th country she has visited since her coronation in November of last year.
The Miss Universe organization confirmed through its social media that Palacios will first tour Kenya, specifying that the visit is scheduled between August 15 and 19.
Related news: Sheynnis Palacios will begin a tour in Africa
Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, owner of the Miss Universe organization, detailed through her Instagram stories that Palacios’ tour of Africa also includes visits to the nations of Zimbabwe, between August 19 and 21, and Tanzania, between August 23 and 27.
The Miss Universe titleholder also mentioned in her post that the queen of the universe will also visit Nepal, located on the Asian continent, between August 28 and September 1.
