The governments of Nicaragua and Venezuela - and their sympathizers - continue to intimidate opposition voices and those supporting them.
- Nicaragua: According to an article by the National Catholic Reporter published on 19 November 2019, a pro-government mob burst into the Cathedral in Managua in an attempt to evict a group of mothers on a hunger strike demanding the release of political prisoners. Besides beating a priest and a nun, some people trying to provide water to the group of women were arrested, as reported by Noticieroenfoque on 19 November 2019. In a related incident, Christians were attacked in the Cathedral of Masaya (Daily Mail, 22 November 2019) when government sympathizers interrupted a service and started hitting those present with clubs, machetes and metal bars. In addition, Agenzia Fides reported on 9 December 2019 that police had detained a Catholic priest for 12 hours for "disturbing public order", although he had simply led a service for a Catholic festival in the church of Nueva Segovia.
- Venezuela: Aleteia reported on 13 February 2020 that pro-government elements brutally beat the coordinator of the community kitchen from Casa Padre Torres in the diocese of Los Teques. The hooded men entered the premises, threatened the assistants with a weapon and then proceeded to hit the 68-year-old volunteer.
Rossana Ramirez, persecution analyst at World Watch Research (WWR), comments: "The Nicaraguan president continues to accuse Catholic bishops of plotting a coup ever since they cared for injured protesters during anti-government riots that erupted in 2018. As a result, church leaders and other Christians remain targets of government violence and harassment. The
United Nations Office for Human Rights (Bulletin No. 13, December 2019) and countries like
Spain (Lamoncloa, 16 November 2019) and
Costa Rica (Columbia, 17 November 2019) officially condemned the mistreatment of strikers by the police and the violation of the freedom to manifest one"s religion. Likewise, in Venezuela, church leaders who speak out against government aggression become victims of threats and harassment. Christians providing humanitarian assistance to the neediest have also become targets of reprisals."
Rossana Ramirez concludes: "In Nicaragua and Venezuela, it is increasingly difficult for Christians to live out their faith if they do not actively support the government. In addition to limiting the right to freedom of worship and carrying out physical attacks, the government also seeks to limit basic services and other rights such as access to food, water and sanitation as a means of intimidating government opposition and their supporters. No changes to this situation are likely in the short-term, despite warnings from the international community."
