President Ortega is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Nicaragua. He and his party, the FSLN, exercise authoritarian control over all three branches of government and the electoral process. Roman Catholics account for about 50 percent of the population, followed by Evangelical Christians at 33.2 percent, followers of unspecified religions at 13.2 percent, “other” religions (including Jews and Muslims) at 2.9 percent, and 0.7 percent adhering to no religion. Nicaragua is embroiled in a social and political crisis that started in April 2018 when peaceful protests erupted after President Ortega announced reforms to the public pension system. Law enforcement responded to the protests with excessive force and repression. The Catholic Church stepped in to provide aid to protesters and mediate a National Dialogue. Since the Church refused to turn away demonstrators in need of aid and individual clergymen voiced opposition to the government, the Ortega Administration abandoned the talks and began lashing out at the Church. Over two years later, the Ortega regime’s ire against the Catholic Church has not abated. A presidential election is set for November 7, 2021, and Catholic Church officials in the country fear more violence leading up to election day. Impunity for Violent Attacks on Churches Attacks on Catholic churches were common occurrences throughout the country in 2020. In addition to the incendiary attack on the Cathedral of Managua, supporters of the regime threatened, vandalized, besieged, and desecrated churches across Nicaragua. Unlike in previous years, the attacks appear to have been perpetrated by citizens who support President Ortega, as opposed to law enforcement or paramilitary groups. No one—citizens, law enforcement, or paramilitary members—has been held to account for crimes committed against Catholic churches, officials, or worshippers since April 2018. Harassment of Worshippers Ortega supporters repeatedly entered churches prior to or during Mass to harass worshippers. On February 25, a group of agitators entered the San Felipe Apostol church in Matagalpa ten minutes before Mass to harass and film the parishioners. As parishioners and clergy scuffled with the group, a man approached the sacristan and punched him in the eye and a woman sprayed him with pepper spray. The church’s priest, Monsignor Roger Garcia, said that Sandinista “mobs” sought to take photographs of parishioners at that church in the past. On March 3, a group of Sandinistas clad in clothing the colors of the party disrupted the funeral service held at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Managua in honor of well-known priest and poet Ernesto Cardenal. The group chanted anti-Catholic slogans, stole personal belongings of attendees, and made it difficult for Cardenal’s family to move the coffin to the hearse waiting outside. Law enforcement stood nearby the cathedral but did nothing to disperse the regime supporters. On July 19, services at two different churches in León and Matagalpa were suspended due to loud noise caused by Ortega supporters. Vandalism of Church Property Incidents of vandalism included smashing religious icons and stealing in Tipitapa; splashing paint on religious icons and throwing away communion wafers in Mateare; “breaking images, [offending] the tabernacle, trampling [communion wafers], breaking benches, and causing damage to furniture, doors and pipes” in Nindirí; stealing paintings in Managua; and defecating in various locations around a church in Nindirí. These are only a small sample of the incidents that occurred at Catholic churches in Nicaragua in 2020. Key U.S. Policy In January, then Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo traveled to Central America to meet with Nicaraguan opposition leaders. During this meeting, then Secretary Pompeo urged President Ortega to end “repression, and to restore the fundamental civil liberties and support free and fair elections.” He also stated that the United States has provided Costa Rica with at least $13 million to assist vulnerable populations, including Nicaraguans who fled their country to Costa Rica following the outbreak of civil unrest in April 2018. On December 2, 2020, the State Department again placed Nicaragua on its Special Watch List for severe violators of religious freedom. The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, on March 9 and June 16, respectively, passed resolutions supporting the Nicaraguan peoples’ pursuit of democracy and human rights and the use of tools under U.S. law to pressure the Ortega government. USCIRF had urged Congress to pass these measures. The U.S. government continued to enact robust sanctions against Nicaraguan officials and companies, though none referred to religious freedom violations. On March 5, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on the Nicaraguan National Police as well as police commissioners Juan Valle Valle, Luis Alberto Perez Olivas, and Juan Pastor Urbina for engaging in serious human rights abuses against protesters. Further, on July 17 OFAC imposed sanctions on Juan Carlos Ortega Murillo, son of President Ortega; Jose Jorge Mojica Mejia; and “two companies they use in an effort to distribute regime propaganda and launder money.” U S C I R F – R E C O M M E N D E D F O R S P E C I A L W AT C H L I S T 81 NICARAGUA Background