North Miami-Dade News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chairwoman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), has called for the inclusion of the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) on the Entities of Particular Concern List for their violations of religious freedom, according to a letter sent today to Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain.

“The Frente Sandinista is the political arm of the bloody Ortega-Murillo regime, and its crimes against the Catholic faithful can no longer go unpunished,” said Chairwoman Salazar. “The atrocities of the Frente Sandinista against Catholics in Nicaragua are well documented. It’s time to add the Sandinistas to the Entities of Particular Concern List – now!”

Chairwoman Salazar highlights the long history of religious intolerance and persecution by the Sandinistas, which began in the 1980s with threats against the Jewish community and the firebombing and desecration of the only synagogue in the country.

The Ortega-Murillo regime, known for its socialist policies, has been responsible for numerous human rights abuses against the Catholic Church, with over 400 attacks on the Church since anti-regime protests intensified in 2018. The majority of Nicaraguans, approximately three-quarters of the population, belong to the Catholic Church, totaling more than 5 million faithful.

Chairwoman Salazar cites specific instances of violence and repression, including the massacre of young protestors inside the Divine Mercy parish in Managua, the firebombing of the Managua Cathedral, the arrest of religious leaders, and the closure of Catholic media outlets. The regime has also dissolved hundreds of organizations and NGOs, including those associated with Mother Teresa.

Most recently, in August 2023, the regime expelled the nation's Jesuit order and the Jesuit-affiliated Central American University.

Chairwoman Salazar has been a leading advocate for the liberation of the Nicaraguan people from the Ortega-Murillo regime. She has taken significant steps this year, including the introduction of the Nicaraguan Political Prisoner Support Act, to hold the regime accountable and support Nicaraguan exiles abroad.

BACKGROUND:

The Entities of Particular Concern List is a designation by the United States Secretary of State, identifying organizations responsible for severe violations of religious freedom. Organizations such as ISIS, the Taliban, and the Wagner Group are included for their deliberate targeting of religious groups through tactics like torture and prolonged detention.

For the full text of the letter, click HERE.

For Rep. Salazar’s remarks about the persecution of Catholics in Nicaragua earlier this year, click HERE.

There are 450,000 Nicaraguan Americans living in the United States, and Congresswoman Salazar represents over 30,000 of them in Florida’s 27th congressional district.

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