By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MANAGUA (Worthy News) – Christians across autocratically-ruled Nicaragua “are celebrating Holy Week” leading up to Easter under the watchful eye of police and paramilitary forces, Christians told Worthy News on Good Friday.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the heightened tensions follow the decision of the Sandinista government led by Daniel Ortega and Rosaria Murillo to ban many public celebrations, including processions that are common among Latin American churches.
“In Nicaragua, the public religious celebrations have been outlawed for the past two years. Since then, harassment against Christians throughout the country has intensified, resulting in hundreds of religious leaders being either imprisoned or exiled,” said Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), an advocacy group supporting Christians in the region.
Instead of traditionally church-run festivities, some municipalities have organized government-operated events, Worthy News learned.
One exiled Nicaraguan political leader, Felix Maradiaga, believes that “the model Sandinistas want to implement is very similar to that of [communist-run] China.”
Like in China, he noted government-operated churches “promoting government propaganda under the guise of religious instruction.”
POLICE PERMISSION
In February, governing officials reportedly stated that they may stop recognizing episcopal appointments from the Vatican and instead begin appointing their own church leaders.
Christians told Worthy News that some Christian leaders have been required to report to the police every week for their sermons to be approved.
“Additionally, churches throughout the country are under surveillance from plainclothes officers as well as uniformed officials. It has been reported that around 14,000 governing agents were deployed to monitor churches this week in order to prevent Easter celebrations from taking place,” VOMC said.
One church member stated that although she “enjoys the Holy Week religious activities,” she is considering “not attending these services for fear of being “marked” by the government.”
VOMC told Worthy News that it had urged its supporters to “Pray that the message of Jesus’ death and glorious resurrection would be widely proclaimed throughout Nicaragua, despite the restrictions being imposed on the public celebrations of Easter.”
It also asked for prayers for a change of heart of political leaders and “for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters” this Easter season in Nicaragua.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
An international group of influential climate activists demand a new global treaty to phase out fossil fuels to prevent the “assassination of humanity,” despite growing concerns that there aren’t yet enough alternatives available to sustain global economic growth.
A coalition of American Christian leaders gathered on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Friday to pray and “thank President Donald J. Trump” for reportedly designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over the killing of thousands of Christians by Islamic groups.
The student revival movement that has been shaking campuses across America surged again Tuesday night as more than 6,000 students packed J.S. Dorton Arena at North Carolina State University to worship Jesus Christ, hear the Gospel, and respond to the call of salvation.
The U.S. Justice Department came under mounting pressure to release all files related to deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, despite strong opposition from the White House and signs that U.S. President Donald J. Trump is reluctant to make the documents fully public.
France paid an emotional tribute Thursday to the 130 people killed ten years ago during a night of coordinated attacks by Islamic State extremists who targeted cafés, restaurants, and the Bataclan concert hall in Paris.
The Trump administration on Nov. 13 finalized a sweeping rollback of Biden-era restrictions on oil and gas development in Alaska, restoring access to more than 13 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (NPR-A) in a move officials say will bolster U.S. energy security and revive North Slope communities.
The United States on Thursday urged the UN Security Council to support Washington’s draft resolution establishing an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to secure postwar Gaza and guide the territory into a future “free from Hamas.” The measure — a central pillar of President Donald Trump’s broader Middle East peace framework — has been crafted with input from Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.