Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chair Salazar Blasts Ortega Regime for Human Rights Abuses Against Nicaraguan Catholics

Washington, D.C. – Today, Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairwoman María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) co-hosted a hearing with Human Rights Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ) on the dire situation Nicaraguan Catholics are facing because of the Ortega-Murillo regime’s systematic persecution of the Roman Catholic Church in the country.

“The only way communism can impose itself is by replacing God with the government,” said Rep. Salazar. “To Daniel Ortega, I say this: You would be wise to remember the Church has defeated greater demons than you and your satanic wife."

Salazar is a leading voice supporting the Nicaraguan people and fighting the Ortega regime, passing the RENACER Act in Congress and helping secure the release of political prisoners. The witnesses for the hearing include some of the recently released prisoners and leading dissidents against the Ortega regime in Nicaragua and abroad, including:

• Félix Maradiaga, J.D.
  • President and Founder, Fundación para la Libertad de Nicaragua
• Dr. Juan Sebastián Chamorro
  • Executive Director, Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy
• Deborah Ullmer
  • Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Programs National Democratic Institute
• Bianca Jagger
  • Founder, President, and Chief Executive, Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation

BACKGROUND:

Almost three-quarters of Nicaraguans belong to the Catholic Church, registering more than 5 million faithful. There have been over 400 attacks on the Church in recent years. In 2018, police and paramilitaries went into Divine Mercy parish in Managua, locked in young protestors, and rained bullets on them. In 2020, a firebomb was thrown in Managua Cathedral, destroying the famous image of the Blood of Christ, a 382-year-old crucifix beloved by Nicaraguans. 

Ortega also ordered the dissolution of hundreds of organizations and NGOs that serve the nation’s poorest, including nuns who worked with Mother Teresa. The regime recently ordered the closure of Catholic media outlets while breaking relations with the Vatican by expelling the Apostolic Nuncio.

You can view the full hearing here. For more information, visit Salazar.house.gov.

___

Washington, D.C. – Hoy, la representante María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), presidenta del Subcomité del Hemisferio Occidental, codirigió una audiencia con el presidente del Subcomité de Derechos Humanos, el representante Chris Smith (R-NJ), sobre la grave situación que enfrentan los católicos nicaragüenses debido a la persecución sistemática del régimen de Ortega/Murillo contra la Iglesia Católica Romana en el país.

"Una de las primeras cosas que hace el comunismo es reemplazar a Dios por el Gobierno”, dijo la congresista Salazar. “A Daniel Ortega le digo esto: Sería prudente que recordaras que la Iglesia ha derrotado a demonios más grandes que tú y tu satánica esposa”, agregó Salazar.

Entre los testigos de la audiencia figuran destacados opositores del régimen de Ortega/Murillo en Nicaragua y en el exterior, entre ellos:

• Félix Maradiaga, J.D.
  • Presidente y fundador, “Fundación para la Libertad de Nicaragua”
• Dr. Juan Sebastián Chamorro 
  • Director Ejecutivo, “Alianza Cívica por la Justicia y la Democracia
• Deborah Ullmer
  • Directora Regional para América Latina y el Caribe del “National Democratic Institute”
• Bianca Jagger
  • Fundadora, presidenta y directora ejecutiva de “Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation”

ANTECEDENTES:

Casi tres cuartas partes de los nicaragüenses pertenecen a la Iglesia Católica, que registra más de cinco millones de fieles. En los últimos años se han producido más de 400 ataques contra la Iglesia.

En 2018, policías y paramilitares entraron en la parroquia de la Divina Misericordia de Managua, encerraron a jóvenes manifestantes y les dispararon. En 2020, lanzaron una bomba incendiaria en la catedral de Managua, destruyendo la famosa imagen de la Sangre de Cristo, un crucifijo de 382 años de antigüedad muy querido por los nicaragüenses. 

Ortega también ordenó la disolución de cientos de organizaciones y ONGs que sirven a los más pobres de la nación, incluidas las monjas que trabajaron con la Madre Teresa. Recientemente, el régimen ordenó el cierre de medios de comunicación católicos y rompió relaciones con el Vaticano. Antes había expulsado al Nuncio Apostólico.

Puede ver la audiencia completa aquí. Para más información, visite Salazar.house.gov.

___

Congresswoman Salazar's full remarks can be found below:

Los comentarios completos de la congresista Salazar se pueden encontrar a continuación:

OPENING REMARKS:

• Thank you, Mr. Chairman.As the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere and a relentless fighter for people of Nicaragua, it is an honor to host you today.

• Almost three-quarters of Nicaraguans belong to the Catholic Church.

• To have complete control over them, the Dictator-in-Chief Daniel Ortega needs to replace Almighty God with his dictatorship.

• That is why he is systematically hunting down and silencing the most sacred, sovereign institution in Nicaragua’s history - the Catholic Church.

• The Catholic Church is the last, the loudest, voice against his regime.

• There have been over 400 attacks on the Church in recent years – let me name a few:

• In 2018, police went into Divine Mercy parish located in Managua, locked in young protestors, and rained bullets on them. They were looking for a sanctuary, but instead they found death.

• In 2020, a firebomb was thrown in Managua’s Cathedral, destroying the famous image of the Blood of Christ, an almost 400-year-old crucifix beloved by thousands of Nicaraguans.

• Last year, Daniel Ortega escalated his attacks on the faithful:

• He ordered the dissolution of hundreds of NGOs.

• He expelled 18 of Mother Teresa’s nuns, holy women who worked in the most dangerous areas in Nicaragua, including el Mercado Oriental.

• • This breaks my heart- as a journalist I interviewed those women. They were Saints. I felt their holiness when I walked into their humble clinic.

• Also, he shut down 19 Catholic radio and television stations.

• Last month, he broke relations with the Vatican and dared to expel the Apostolic Nuncio.

• But now, He wants us to be impressed by his goodness

• A few weeks ago, he released 222 Political Prisoners to the United States. 

• He let them go free, but he took their citizenship, their families and their property – everything but their lives.

• If Ortega were so compassionate, then Bishop Rolando Álvarez would not have been sentenced to 26 years in the most brutal prison, La Modelo, for leading a powerful demonstration crying for freedom.

• From Managua the message is clear: Daniel Ortega has made Nicaragua a prison for anyone who kneels to God the Father and La Virgen Santísima.

• In a shocking moment of clarity, Pope Francis, Pontifex Maximus, himself called Ortega the new Hitler and compared the Sandinista movement to the Russian Revolution.

• Bravo, Your Holiness. You saw the light, thank you!

• It’s time for the international community to wake up to this historic evil and for the Biden Administration to take action:

• First, the White House must continue increasing the RENACER sanctions on Ortega.

• Second, Biden must communicate to American investors the danger of doing business in Nicaragua. The number one danger is that you could be expropriated and lose your money.

• We wish luck to the textile company which just opened a 100,000 square-meter factory in Nicaragua. Good luck to you!

• Third, we must call on our Central American partners to shut down lending to this dictator.

• The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) has approved $3.5 billion in funding for the Ortega-Murillo regime in the last 5 years. Shame on you!

• All this money provides economic oxygen to the regime so they can keep oppressing the people.

• This is my message to Ortega:

• You would be wise to remember that the Catholic Church, throughout history, has defeated greater demons than you and your satanic wife, Rosario Murillo.

• It must humiliate you that everyone knows that despite your title, she has the real power.

• For that reason, it won’t surprise anyone that you are too small of a man to take down a 2,000-year-old legendary institution.

• In case you haven’t been reading your scripture lately let me tell you about Daniel Chapter 5

• • You’ll learn that the last King of Babylon was also drunk on power and defiled God.
  • And then the writing on the wall appeared which said:
  • Your days are numbered.
  • You’ve been measured and failed.
  • And everything you have stolen from the people of Nicaragua will turn to ash. 

• Este es mi mensaje para Ortega:

• Te haría bien recordar que la Iglesia Católica, a lo largo de la historia, ha vencido a demonios más grandes que tú y tu satánica esposa, Rosario Murillo.
• Debe ser humillante que todos sepan que, a pesar de tu título, ella tiene el verdadero poder.
• Por eso, no sorprenderá a nadie que seas un hombre demasiado pequeño para acabar con una institución legendaria, de dos mil años de antigüedad.
• Por si no has leído las Escrituras últimamente, déjame contarte sobre el libro de Daniel Capítulo 5.
• El último rey de Babilonia también estaba borracho de poder y profanó a Dios.
• Y entonces apareció una escritura en la pared con una advertencia.
• La advertencia es la misma para ti.
• Tus días están contados.
• Has sido pesado en la balanza de Dios y no pasaste la prueba.
• Y todo lo que le has robado al pueblo de Nicaragua se convertirá en cenizas.

###