Nicaraguan Government Continues Systematic Restrictions on Religious Public Worship

The government of Nicaragua, led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, has maintained a long-standing policy of restricting public religious expression. According to data from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, authorities have prohibited over 27,000 religious processions and public acts of piety since 2019. This year, officials reportedly banned more than 400 Stations of the Cross processions during the Lenten season, marking the fourth consecutive year that Holy Week celebrations have faced significant state-imposed limitations.

Observers note that the government's crackdown on religious institutions intensified following the 2018 national protests, during which some clergy members provided humanitarian aid and shelter to demonstrators. Consequently, the state has increasingly viewed religious organizations as competing centers of social authority. Human Rights Watch reports that since 2022, more than 200 members of the Catholic clergy have been forced into exile, deported, or denied re-entry into the country. While the Catholic Church has been a primary focus of these measures, reports indicate that Protestant and evangelical communities are also facing growing pressure from state authorities.