“What we’ve been doing has not been working,” McGovern commented.
Eddy Acevedo, chief of staff and senior adviser to the president at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, testified that Ortega sees organized religion as a threat to his authoritarian regime. Acevedo recommended that the United States expel the Nicaraguan ambassador to the U.S. immediately, an idea for which McGovern expressed support.
Acevedo also called for an investigation into whether loans are being improperly given to Nicaragua that Ortega is using to prop up his regime. Under U.S. law, the U.S. has a mandate to oppose any loan or financial or technical assistance to the Government of Nicaragua for projects in the country, with the exception of funding to address basic human needs or to promote democracy.
In a similar way to how St. John Paul II is credited with assisting in the fall of communism, Acevedo said that he believes Pope Francis should “speak up, and speak often” about what is happening in Nicaragua, and that is the “moral, brave, and courageous leadership we need today.”
The U.S. Department of State in late November designated Nicaragua a Country of Particular Concern in terms of religious freedom violations perpetrated by or tolerated by the government, a designation that carries with the recommendation of sanctions.
The Trump administration first imposed sanctions against the regime in 2018. President Biden in November 2021 signed the bipartisan RENANCER Act, which extended sanctions, and called the reelection of Ortega that month a “sham.”
Jonah McKeown is a staff writer and podcast producer for Catholic News Agency. He holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has worked as a writer, as a producer for public radio, and as a videographer. He is based in St. Louis.
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