The relentless persecution of Christians in Latin America
By Antonio Graceffo, Mercator.
When considering the persecution of Christians, we often think of the Middle East, Africa, or communist regimes in Asia. However, there is a growing trend of persecution in Latin America, where Christians make up at least 90 percent of the population. Attacks on priests, the Catholic Church, and Christianity are increasing across left-leaning Latin American nations.
In Central and South America, both state and non-state actors are targeting the church. Governments condemn the church, pass laws restricting its activities, and imprison or expel priests and church officials. Criminal gangs, paramilitary groups, cartels, and armed guerrillas see the church as a threat to their power and often threaten or kill religious figures who oppose the drug trade.
The countries most affected include Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Mexico is considered the most dangerous country for Catholic priests, and Colombia ranks among the top 50 worst places to be a Christian.
Communist Cuba
In Cuba, Catholic priests and other religious face harassment and arrests, largely due to the communist government’s desire to maintain strict control and suppress dissent. The 2023 Social Communication Law prohibits criticism of the government, even within a religious context, targeting religious leaders who criticise the regime or support human rights activists. This includes harassment, detention, and state surveillance.
One notable case is Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, pastor and leader of the Monte de Sion Independent Church, who has been imprisoned since 2021 for participating in a peaceful protest. The Cuban government imposes severe restrictions on religious activities, censoring religious publications and banning Bible sales in bookstores. People have been detained on accusations that they intended to pray for an end to communism, and the mothers of political prisoners are banned from praying for their release.
Havana strictly controls the construction of new churches. In 2020, one of the first new churches since the 1959 communist revolution was constructed. Home churches and underground churches are banned. Cuba is on the US State Department’s Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) list for “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”
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