The dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega and his “co-president” and wife, Rosario Murillo, in Nicaragua bans street processions amid intensified Catholic Church persecution and heavy police surveillance.
The dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, in Nicaragua has banned street processions for the third year in a row, targeting one of the Catholic Church’s most visible traditions.
The regime has escalated its persecution of the Church by deploying thousands of police officers to prevent these religious events and intimidate clergy.
Parishioners now must confine their worship to church interiors, which reduces public expressions of faith.
Reports reveal that police are closely monitoring priests, demanding information, and harassing religious figures to enforce strict controls on religious activities and silence dissent.
A detailed account from Nicaraguan researcher Martha Patricia Molina highlights a broader campaign of repression, with nearly 1,000 documented attacks against the Church from 2018 to 2024.
The government’s efforts include surveillance, restrictions on movement, and direct pressure to stop any criticism of the regime in religious spaces.