During the last year, six Christian women have been imprisoned in Nicaragua for their religious activities. Among them are five Catholics, namely María Asunción Salgado, Evelyn Guillén, Adela Tercero, Gabriela Morales, Maricarmen Espinosa Segura, and one Protestant, Marisela de Fátima Mejía Ruiz.
María Asunción Salgado was arrested on Oct. 7, 2023. Salgado and two other individuals were detained for “religious belief, activity, and association” as they attended a religious ceremony in Nuestra Señora de Asuncion parish, part of the Diocese of Estelí, Nicaragua.
Similarly, Evelyn Guillén was arrested on Aug. 5, 2023, for “religious activity and expression.” Guillén allegedly displayed a poster advocating for the release
of Bishop Rolando Alvarez. Authorities detained Alvarez in August 2022
and held him in home confinement or prison for more than a year for
preaching that certain liberties are given by God. He was released on
Jan. 14 and exiled to the Vatican. Guillén has reportedly been denied medical treatment while in detention.
Adela Tercero and Gabriela Morales
were detained on Aug. 19, 2023, “in relation to a crackdown on
religious institutions.” They were allegedly charged with spreading
false information and “undermining national security,” though those
charges were eventually dropped. Both women were purportedly found with
marijuana in their possession and convicted of drug trafficking. Both individuals were reportedly denied the right to attorneys.
Tercero attended the Jesuit Central American University (UCA) in Managua, where she was a student leader, and Morales was a student at Jesuit Juan Pablo II University.
Many UCA students were active in the 2018 protests against social
security reforms being pushed by the authoritarian government. Both
Christian schools were shut down amid increasing attacks against
Catholic churches and institutions instigated by the Nicaraguan regime
led by President Daniel Ortega. Leaders and parishioners in the Catholic
Church aided the 2018 protesters and spoke out against human rights
violations perpetrated by Nicaraguan authorities.
U.S. Congressman Chris Smith released a statement in early 2024 denouncing the Nicaraguan government’s position on protesters.
“Tens
of thousands of Nicaraguans have fled their country to avoid
persecution since 2018, when Ortega’s government cracked down on
widespread anti-regime protests, killing hundreds of people, injuring
thousands and arbitrarily detaining many,” Smith stated.
Maricarmen Espinosa Segura was arrested
in December 2023 on charges of money laundering, an often-used tactic
by Ortega’s regime to falsely accuse and imprison those it views as
political enemies. Segura was given a 10-year sentence and an $80
million fine on March 19 for activities related to the Puerta de la
Montaña Ministry. The ministry was part of Mountain Gateway, a Christian
missionary group based in the United States. Eleven pastors and
evangelical leaders with ties to Puerta de la Montaña were convicted in March on spurious charges of money laundering.
Puerta
de la Montaña and Mountain Gateway coordinated mass evangelical events.
These events drew hundreds of thousands of Christ seekers and
believers, which the authoritarian regime likely viewed as a threat to
its power.
Like Segura, Marisela de Fátima Mejía Ruiz,
also associated with the Puerta de la Montaña Ministry, was given an
$80 million fine and a 15-year prison sentence for money laundering.
A June 2024 report
from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
(USCIRF) detailed the extent to which the Latin American nation is
targeting Christians.
“Nicaragua’s
social and political crisis, which began in April 2018 with the
government’s violent repression of peaceful protests, has had
devastating ramifications for Catholics and Protestants,” the report
stated. “The government initially targeted the Catholic Church because
it provided sanctuary to demonstrators and clergy voiced opposition to
the government’s human rights abuses … [Additionally], the … regime has
engaged in increasingly repressive actions against Protestant
communities as it seeks to tighten its grip on power.”
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