North Miami-Dade News

On May 15, 2024, Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Joaquín Castro (D-TX) welcomed the International Republican Institute to award Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa the Freedom Award 2024 for his contributions to the fight for religious freedom in Nicaragua. Since 2018, dictators Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo have launched an unprecedented assault on the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. Bishop Álvarez was expelled and permanently banned from Nicaragua for fulfilling his duty as a guide to the 75% of Nicaraguans who are Catholics. The United States and Catholics worldwide stand with Bishop Álvarez and those suffering under Ortega's oppression.

"The Catholic Church in Nicaragua is the only institution that Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo's satanic regime truly fears," said Representative Salazar. "Brave Catholic leaders like Bishop Álvarez are doing the Lord's work by tending to their flock. He is not only deserving of the Freedom Award 2024 but also of the Nobel Peace Prize."

"Nicaragua's descent into authoritarianism over the past six years is a tragic reminder of the human consequences of democratic backsliding we've seen throughout the Western Hemisphere," said Representative Castro. "Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo have launched a shocking campaign of persecution against anyone in Nicaragua who dares to think or act independently of the regime, including leaders of the Catholic Church and other religious communities. I commend Bishop Álvarez and his colleagues for their courage. While I am relieved that many have found safety in exile, they should be able to freely practice their religion in their home country. I thank the International Republican Institute for honoring Bishop Álvarez and look forward to continuing working towards restoring democracy and freedom in Nicaragua."

In February 2023, Ortega-Murillo's regime deported to the United States and revoked the citizenship of 222 political prisoners. Bishop Álvarez was expelled later, on January 14, 2024, along with 18 other religious figures. He now lives in Vatican City, Rome, and is ill due to the tortures he suffered during his imprisonment in Nicaragua.

Bishop Álvarez was imprisoned by Ortega's regime in August 2022 for the false crimes of "undermining national integrity" and "spreading fake news through information and communication technologies to the detriment of the Nicaraguan state and society." Since then, he has become a symbol of Catholic resistance to Ortega's tyranny.

Last year, the Catholic Church published a report on the state of religious freedom worldwide through its organization Aid to the Church in Need. The report shows that among Latin America's socialist tyrants, Ortega's regime stands out for its willingness to persecute Nicaraguans professing Christian faith.

Currently, Nicaragua is included in the State Department's Countries of Particular Concern list. This list includes countries guilty of severe violations of religious freedom as per the International Religious Freedom Act of 1990. Although guilty of similar offenses, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) or Sandinistas are not included in Entities of Particular Concern list, a similar list designed to identify organizations that suppress religious freedom. Representative Salazar has called for including Sandinistas on this list.

Salazar remains an advocate for Nicaraguan people in Congress recently introducing the Law for Restoration of Sovereignty and Human Rights in Nicaragua (HR 6954) alongside Subcommittee on Human Rights Chairman Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ).