Nicaragua's government, led by President Daniel Ortega continues to escalate efforts to silence the Christian faithful. His targets include the Catholic Church, church officials, and even a leading bishop. US lawmakers and government officials are stepping up efforts to secure more religious freedom in the country. Nicaragua's seizure of a Jesuit-run university last month is the latest episode in the government's campaign to silence the Catholic Church. Since 2018, Catholic priests and laity critical of the government have been harassed, exiled, imprisoned, tortured and even murdered. The U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom says the crackdown is getting worse. US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Rashad Hussain, says, "We are also seeing more direct violence on the ground in Nicaragua. The repression of the church, the Catholic Church, seems to be greater where you have the government going in and arresting so many of the religious leaders." In a high profile case, the Ortega dictatorship accused Bishop Rolando Alvarez, a government critic and staunch advocate for religious rights, of treason and sentenced him to 26 years in prison. Currently, his whereabouts and health are unknown. The USCCB recently released a statement saying in part, "The continued incarceration of Bishop Álvarez is unjust and must end as soon as possible." Capitol Hill Correspondent, Erik Rosales reports.
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