32. Nicaragua

Region

Latin America

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Christian population

6 832 000 (94.4%)​

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Main relegion

Christianity

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Main threats

• Dictatorial paranoia
• Communist and post-Communist oppression

Christians in Nicaragua are increasingly being silenced under the dictatorial rule of the co-presidents Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo.

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Believers who raise their voices against the government over issues including human rights violations have faced surveillance, intimidation and imprisonment. Some even face exile and loss of citizenship. Meanwhile, churches and other Christian institutions (e.g. schools and charities) are deemed a threat to the regime. They have had assets seized, activities disrupted, and buildings vandalised. Rather than being seen as a valuable part of the country’s fabric, many Christians are viewed as “destabilising agents”.

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This growing suffocation of Christian freedoms goes back to 2018, when nationwide protests broke out against the government. This worsened following the 2021 elections and the 2025 constitutional reform. Both have been used to make legal changes to justify the crackdown on dissenting voices further – and that includes further silencing the Church.