Authorities in Nicaragua take control of a Catholic school, amid accusations of past criminal activities taking place on the premises.
The Nicaraguan government's seizure of the Colegio San José de Jinotepe, a Catholic school, has sparked international concern and outrage. The school, which was renamed "Héroe Bismarck Martínez," a partisan who supporters claim was tortured and murdered during protests in 2018, was taken over by the ruling Sandinista regime.
The move is part of a broader crackdown on the Catholic Church and its educational projects in Nicaragua. Over 250 priests, women religious, and seminarians have been exiled from the country, according to Martha Patricia Molina, a Nicaraguan lawyer in exile.
Father Edwin Román, an exiled Nicaraguan priest, stated that the seizure of the school is "a theft by the dictatorship from the citizens themselves." Arturo McFields, a former Nicaraguan diplomat, added that the regime is trying to punish a church that has been sensitive and close to people's suffering.
Co-President Rosario Murillo claimed that the school was a center where torture and murder occurred during the 2018 protests. However, an investigation by the Inter-American Human Rights Commission found 355 individuals died during the repression of social protests in Nicaragua in 2018.
School officials refused to fly the Sandinista's black and red flag and engage in "patriotic" activities, according to an independent news outlet Confidencial. Parishes and schools, including the Central American University and Colegio San José de Jinotepe, provided shelter for protesters during the 2018 Nicaraguan protests.
The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs denounced the school's seizure, calling it "further proof that the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship's cruelty knows no bounds." The Nicaraguan government expropriated the Jesuit-run Central American University at the end of 2023, adding to the regime's forced closure of more than 5,000 nongovernmental organizations, including Cáritas chapters and Catholic universities.
The Nicaraguan bishops' conference convened a national dialogue but abandoned the process due to government disinterest. The evangelizing and humanitarian mission of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua is being punished by the regime, leading to a growing international outcry. The Nicaraguan government's actions against the Catholic Church and its institutions continue to raise questions about human rights and democracy in the country.
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