At least ten Nicaraguan priests were forced to send photographs and provide details of their weekly plans to National Police officers, who imposed these so-called “precautionary measures” without a court order, according to a report by the organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
The control measures were enforced following a police visit, during which officers also forbade the priests from traveling to another municipality or department without prior authorization.
“On Tuesday, August 27, 2024, police officers led by Captain Wilber Montenegro Martínez arrived at the rectory of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, where they proceeded to interrogate and photograph Father Luis Eduardo Benavides,” the report states.
The priest “was informed that from now on, the police would visit him every Tuesday to interview him and take his photograph. They said the precautionary measures were issued under orders from Managua.” Fearing imprisonment, Benavides fled to Honduras in the early hours of the following day.
The same measures were imposed on nine other priests. In each case, the report states, a police officer was assigned to the priest, who was ordered to send a weekly photo and provide updates on his plans for the week.
“Some were warned that if they did not comply with the precautionary measures, they would be arrested or exiled,” states the report Total Control: The Eradication of Independent Voices in Nicaragua, released on March 3, 2025, by CSW, a human rights organization specializing in religious freedom.
Evangelical Pastors Ordered to “Moderate” Their Sermons
Evangelical leaders are also being harassed and restricted by the police, CSW reports. In August 2024, a pastor in Estelí was approached early in the morning by police officers, who told him they “did not like his tone in videos shared on social media” and threatened to arrest him if he did not change both his tone and sermon content to be “more friendly” toward the government.
“Religious leaders are warned not to speak or pray about specific topics. Preaching about unity or justice, or praying for imprisoned religious leaders or even for the general situation of the country,” the report states.
They also learned of the case of a Protestant couple, who are pastors, who were detained by a high-ranking National Police officer. During the arrest, they were interrogated separately and “subjected to inhumane treatment, including, in the case of the wife, of a sexual nature.”
In this case, they were told they were being detained “for having prayed for Nicaragua and Israel during their religious services,” and upon their release, their church was shut down, and “they were banned from participating in any religious activities.”
In October 2025, the report states, an officer arrived in a patrol car at 4:30 a.m. at an evangelical church in Managua and questioned the pastor about a men’s monthly prayer meeting scheduled for 5 a.m. that same day. “The officer allowed the event to take place, but placed a police officer inside to record the event and other officers outside to monitor who was coming in and out of the church.”
Covert Surveillance
The organization reports that the National Police conduct ongoing surveillance, both open and covert, of Catholic and Evangelical religious activities in Nicaragua.
“They frequently reported infiltration and the use of informants in congregations of all kinds, to monitor and report on the content of sermons, prayers, and other activities, indicating that the government views religious or belief communities with growing suspicion and actively and systematically monitors them,” they warn.
Additionally, officers gave verbal orders not to mention political prisoners, Israel, or to use blue and white colors in any decoration or materials.
Even personal activities have been subjected to restrictions and surveillance. In May 2024, a group of people waiting outside the Santa María Magdalena Church in Santo Domingo, Totogalpa, for the funeral Mass of a friend were threatened by officers: “They were warned to leave or enter the church, or they would be arrested for contempt of authority.”
In San Miguelito, Río San Juan, a group of parishioners selling pastries outside the church in the municipality were forced to leave by order of Captain Neydi Gatirán Bustos. “Those who had gathered there were forced to return home with the donated food, which was meant to help raise funds to repair the church’s roof,” they report.
This article was originally published in Spanish by Confidencial and translated by our staff. To get the most relevant news from our English coverage delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to The Dispatch.