Please join the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for a virtual hearing on deteriorating religious freedom conditions in Nicaragua and suggested policy options for the U.S. government.
Since 2018, the Nicaraguan government has severely restricted freedom of religion or belief. Catholic clergymen and laypeople have been arbitrarily arrested, imprisoned, and exiled. Catholic charitable and educational organizations have been shuttered on false allegations of money laundering and failure to properly register with authorities. Uniformed and plain clothes officers routinely monitor, harass, and intimidate worshipers during peaceful religious processions. The government has targeted Evangelical pastors as well, sentencing 11 such pastors in March 2024 to imprisonment on spurious money laundering charges. In addition, religious leaders and worshipers in Indigenous communities, including members of the Moravian Church, face harassment and intimidation for peacefully practicing their faith.
Witnesses will discuss Nicaragua’s repressive governance framework and the authorities’ severe crackdown against the Catholic, Protestant, and Indigenous religious communities. They will also explore further policy options for the U.S. government to foster improved religious freedom conditions in the country to help stem the relentless persecution of religious communities in Nicaragua beyond holding government officials accountable for religious freedom violations.
Opening Remarks
Stephen Schneck, Chair, USCIRF
Maureen Ferguson, Commissioner, USCIRF
Panel
Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Felix Maradiaga, Trustee, Freedom House and Exiled Nicaraguan Human Rights Activist
Jon Britton Hancock, Founder and President, Mountain Gateway Ministry
Anexa Alfred, Member of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and exiled Miskitu leader
This hearing is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the public, and the media. The video recording of the hearing will be posted on the Commission website. For any additional questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
