The Nicaraguan government has promoted dozens of activities in the country’s spas during Holy Week, while prohibiting the typical religious processions of these dates.
The activities organized by the ruling party range from concerts in the spas to the massive delivery of typical foods.
The government deployed a total of 14,000 police officers this week to guarantee what it has called “citizen security so that Nicaraguan and foreign families can enjoy Holy Week.”
The director of Tourism Development of INTUR, Mara Stotti, indicated that the time will be used to promote tourist sites in the country and packages and excursions will be offered for visitors.
At the La Boquita tourist center, the authorities of the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute held a competition called the Extreme Challenge of the Summer Nica Fest 2023, which had a massive participation.
In the San Jorge port, in Rivas, the National Port Company inaugurated an aquatic area to attract national and foreign tourists.
In the Apoyeque lagoon, in the Pacific of Nicaragua, the Institute of Tourism organized the Second Mountain Cycling Tour, which ended at a viewpoint in the town.
Religious processions are prohibited
The suspension of religious processions in the country and the arrests of critics of Daniel Ortega have accentuated his government’s crisis with the Catholic Church, which he accuses of sponsoring an “attempted coup” after the protests in 2018.
Government blocked or prevented some 5,000 religious processions from taking place by Easter, according to the Pro Transparency and Anti-Corruption Observatory, which closely follows the attacks on the Church.
In the Cathedral of Managua, the traditional Via Crucis had to be carried out within its facilities, which generally ran through some streets of the Nicaraguan capital.
The same was replicated in other cities such as León and Granada.
Nicaraguan Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes said that this Holy Week the parishioners have experienced it in a “very special” way, although he did not mention religious prohibitions.
“I feel that we have experienced this Holy Week as something very, very special. I do not doubt that each one of us, beginning with myself, have lived intense hours of prayer, we have had the opportunity to be merciful like the Father through the sacrament of reconciliation”, said the Archbishop of Managua during the Chrism Mass.
“Thousands of our faithful are living this Holy Week with joy and joy, they are the inputs that the Lord has given us: prayer, fasting and forgiveness,” added the cardinal.
Last year during these dates they mobilized more than 5 million of people for Easter activities, according to government figures, in the country of just over 6 million inhabitants.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
