Why Nicaragua’s Crackdown on Religious Freedom Should Matter to Every American

On August 19, 2024, the Nicaraguan government announced the cancellation of 1,500 non-profit organizations, the vast majority of which are religious. This sweeping action is not just a regional concern; it’s a stark reminder of how totalitarian regimes use the guise of legality to suppress fundamental freedoms. The official list of non-profits and religious groups was published in La Gaceta (embedded), a publication similar to our Federal Register, where the Nicaraguan government publishes legal notices, official decrees, laws, regulations, and other official government communications.

Since 2018, the Nicaraguan Sandinista regime has systematically targeted and shut down over 3,000 non-profit organizations, many of which are religious, as part of a broader crackdown on civil society and religious freedom. This includes high-profile actions like closing the Missionaries of Charity in July 2022. Additionally, several Jesuit-run educational institutions, including the prestigious Central American University (UCA), faced severe harassment and restrictions due to their criticism of the Sandinistas and the more moderate strain of socialism under the Sandinista Renovation Movement or MRS, its Spanish acronym.

These crackdowns underscore Nicaragua’s use of legal mechanisms to silence independent religious voices and consolidate power. It is a system that has been put in place over a long period and includes technical support from Communist Cuba and its Office of Religious Affairs, Cuba’s religious police, and the intelligence services. While it might seem distant from the daily lives of Americans focused on work, business, and family, this issue has profound implications for the United States and its citizens.

Nicaragua’s crackdown on religious freedom should matter to every American taxpayer. Nicaragua’s move is part of a broader pattern where authoritarian regimes suppress religious freedom to maintain control. Whether the old Soviet Union, pre-civil war Spain, Nazi Germany, or more contemporary examples such as Iran, Eritrea, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, China, and many more nations, history teaches us that attacks on religious people and institutions often lead to social unrest and extremism, which can spill over into regional and global instability.