Nicaragua Denies Entry to Priest, Continuing Repressive Measures
Managua, Nicaragua – The Nicaraguan regime, headed by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, has once again demonstrated its repressive tactics by denying entry to a Nicaraguan priest returning to his homeland. Father Juan Carlos Sánchez, the vicar of San Francisco de Asís parish in Managua, was denied entry by the General Directorate of Migration and Aliens, adding to the growing number of exiled priests in the country.
Confirmation of the denial came from researcher Martha Patricia Molina, who stated that this incident is just one of eleven cases where Nicaraguan priests have been expelled in this manner. The Archdiocese of Managua explained that Father Sánchez had traveled to Bolivia to participate in a priestly ordination before visiting relatives in Miami, United States. Upon his attempt to return to Nicaragua, the airline informed him of the denial.
The refusal of entry is just one of many repressive methods employed by the Ortega-Murillo regime against both nationals and foreigners. Such tactics are applied when individuals attempt to return from abroad, as seen in Father Sánchez’s case, or by outright expulsion from the country, particularly for foreigners.
In a recent incident, the regime’s police raided the house of the Fraternidad Pobres de Jesucristo sisters in León and forcibly expelled four nuns of Brazilian origin from Nicaragua. Consequently, the Ministry of the Interior invalidated the legal status of the fraternity and seized all the nuns’ property. Since 2018, a staggering 84 religious individuals, including priests and nuns, have been forced to leave the country due to the actions of the Ortega dictatorship. The regime utilizes various forms of pressure, such as exile, refusal of entry, and non-renewal of residency, amidst an atmosphere of relentless attacks against the Catholic Church.
According to researcher Molina’s investigation titled “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church,” at least 44 priests and 40 nuns have left the country in the past five years, with an even more significant surge occurring between 2022 and the present. The regime currently holds five priests from various regions of Nicaragua, in addition to Bishop Rolando Álvarez, the apostolic administrator of the diocese of Estelí and bishop of the Matagalpa diocese.
The Ortega-Murillo regime’s persistent targeting of the Catholic Church and its members raises concerns about religious freedom and human rights in Nicaragua. The international community continues to closely monitor the situation while condemning the repressive actions of the Nicaraguan authorities.
Edited by M. Pawlus