Nicaragua: a few processions return under state supervision, pressure on the churches remains in place

What is reported

In late September and early October 2026, Catholic processions returned to the streets of Nicaragua after years of restrictions: Saint Jerome in Masaya (30 September), Saint Francis of Assisi in the El Riguero neighborhood of Managua (4 October), and others in León and Camoapa. No official text sets out the conditions; according to exiled researcher Martha Patricia Molina, citing church sources, they are only allowed when "supervised and co-organized" by town halls and the structures of the ruling party, and priests who have stayed in the country say that "everything remains the same" (Infobae, 6 October). According to Molina, 315 priests and religious are in exile. The NGO Christian Solidarity Worldwide recorded 309 cases of violations of freedom of religion in 2025, compared with 222 in 2024, affecting Catholics and Protestants alike, including the requirement for religious leaders to report to the police every week (report of 30 March 2026). On 2 October 2026, the Organization of American States called on Nicaragua to release political prisoners and restore civil liberties (Reuters).