Nicaragua denied Wednesday that it is prohibiting Holy Week celebrations, countering accusations from the United States and opposition voices that public processions have been banned. The government of spouses and co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo faces claims it is cracking down on the Catholic Church, which it accuses of backing 2018 anti-government protests. The repression of those demonstrations left more than 300 people dead, according to the United Nations.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau stated that the Ortega-Murillo administration is denying Nicaraguans the right to profess their faith by banning public processions. He added that he looks forward to the day when Nicaraguans regain their religious freedom.
The Nicaraguan government categorically rejected what it called “perverse accusations” from Washington. A statement published on the pro-government site El 19 Digital said thousands of religious activities, rites and services tied to Holy Week are taking place across the country, in line with national traditions.
Police have monitored bishops, priests and laypeople during ceremonies, according to Nicaraguan lawyer and church affairs expert Martha Patricia Molina. She posted that Sandinista officers were acting without restraint in their oversight. Murillo told a local outlet earlier that authorities have been monitoring all Holy Week ceremonies to safeguard peace.
The restrictions form part of a broader confrontation with the Catholic Church that intensified after the 2018 unrest. Public processions have been limited or moved indoors in recent years, with police presence reported around parishes. Activities such as Masses and indoor services continue, but street events face prohibitions.
Molina, who tracks religious restrictions, has documented more than 27,000 banned processions and popular piety events since 2019. She reported that 5,738 such activities were barred during the 2026 Lenten season alone. The leftist government has expelled hundreds of Catholic priests and religious figures since 2018. Among them was Bishop Carlos Herrera, president of the Episcopal Conference, who left the country in 2024.
A constitutional reform that year established that the state would monitor the press and the Church to prevent them from serving foreign interests. Nicaragua’s Catholic community has a long tradition of elaborate Holy Week observances, including processions in cities such as Granada and León that once drew thousands into the streets. Those outdoor events have been curtailed for several consecutive years.
Authorities have required parishes to submit schedules in advance for any activities outside church buildings. Municipal governments have at times organized alternative events without Catholic Church involvement. The government maintains that religious freedom is respected and that its actions protect public order. Opposition figures and exiled church leaders describe the measures as part of a systematic effort to control independent institutions.
Holy Week observances will continue through Easter Sunday, with police oversight reported in multiple dioceses. No immediate changes to the current restrictions have been announced by officials.
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