Persecution Horror: Nicaragua’s Communist President Punishes Bishop
Former Kansas governor Sam Brownback is sounding the alarm on religious persecution in Nicaragua, with the Latin American country making its first appearance on the World Watch List, an annual ranking of nations where persecution is most prevalent. Brownback, who also previously served as America’s ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, highlighted a controversial case surrounding Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop Rolando Álvarez. Álvarez, 56, who was arrested by the communist regime in Nicaragua, found guilty of undermining national integrity, spreading false news, and treason, and sentenced to 26 years in prison. The faith leader, known to be a strong and vocal government opponent, was given this sentence after refusing to leave Nicaragua. Álvarez was taken to prison just one day after 222 government opponents of President Daniel Ortega were sent away to the U.S. — a trip the bishop refused to make, NBC News noted.
“It’s a communist regime in Nicaragua and communism and religion don’t get along,” Brownback said. “The communists always just view religion as something that can upset their order, that can be used to undermine them.” This is why he believes communists so often take aim at religion, seeing it as a threat to their existence. “That’s what you’re seeing now become very obvious and stepped up in Nicaragua and the Ortega regime,” Brownback said. “The regime doesn’t want its authority challenged. The bishop and the church, to some degree, challenge it because they’re saying, ‘Look, we should have democracy here. People should elect their own representatives.'” The former ambassador continued, “Ortega, in this last presidential election, he imprisoned his seven leading opponents prior to the elections.”
These critiques of the regime haven’t gone over well. Álvarez was previously on house arrest and when he refused to go peacefully with other dissidents who were exiled and stripped of their citizenship, Brownback said officials immediately put him through “a kangaroo court and they sentenced him to 26 years in prison.” Brownback stressed the importance of religion in Nicaragua, calling it the only institution with enough size and scope to stand up to a rogue government. He said Ortega has upped the ante on his hostility toward religion since winning reelection. The former ambassador encouraged Christians to call out such actions if and when they unfold and to be a voice for the voiceless.
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