Countries in the region are experiencing a crisis that threatens millions of religious individuals — and the future of democracy itself.
Countries in the region are experiencing a crisis that threatens millions of religious individuals — and the future of democracy itself.
A s elections draw near, Americans, zealously defend your democratic freedoms, for they are markedly absent in much of the world. In parts of Latin America, a region characterized by prevalent and profound religiosity, simply holding religious beliefs could be enough to obliterate one’s civil and political rights.
In Mexico, it is illegal for clergy to speak about politics. Since 1917, priests, pastors, and other religious figures have been stripped of their fundamental freedoms by the law that prohibits Mexican citizens who are religious ministers from speaking for or against political candidates or parties. To this day, based on a law in clear contravention of international human-rights standards, religious leaders are persecuted for what they say from the pulpit, parish radios, and church publications. Simply delivering reflections on the political, social, and cultural circumstances in their country may lead to the termination of a church’s legal personhood — speaking for or against a candidate is a criminal offense.
During the Mexican federal-election period in 2021, Juan Sandoval, Mario Ángel Flores, Carlos Aguiar, and Ángel Espinosa de los Monteros — members of the Catholic clergy — issued, at different times, calls for Catholics to participate in the electoral process and vote according to their convictions. The priests were denounced by the ruling political party of President López Obrador, tried before an electoral tribunal under Article 130 of the Mexican constitution, and found guilty of “unlawful” politically oriented speech. Not only does the silencing of religious leaders violate their fundamental right to freedom of speech, it is also inherently discriminatory in that it threatens a distinct group of persons, on the grounds of their religion and religious status, with both administrative and criminal sanctions.
Far from isolated to Mexico, the constitutions of El Salvador, Honduras, and Costa Rica contain similar provisions pertaining to religious leaders — which is evidence of a region-wide trend often historical in nature but compounded by contemporary proclivities to clamp down on speech.
In Argentina, there is growing discrimination in access to public office based on religious belief. Judicial officials have been known to question applicants on whether they are religious believers to filter them out. There have also been instances of political impeachment of judges for daring to criticize the tenets of gender ideology underpinning the Argentine supreme court’s decision that liberalized abortion. These are but a few examples of an insidious climate of hostility that has permeated the interplay of faith and civic life in Argentina, threatening the country’s democratic processes at their core. It is transpiring, largely out of sight, while the region is experiencing one of the worst human-rights crackdowns in living memory with the systematic repression of the Nicaraguan people.
It is well known that the Catholic Church in Nicaragua has opposed the abuses of power and human-rights violations perpetrated by Daniel Ortega and his government. The position taken by the church, including its commitment to mediation efforts, is rooted in Christian principles and obligations, such as being called to bear witness to truth and justice. The government is now targeting the Catholic Church as an institution, as well as its individual members. This constitutes overt persecution on the basis of religion, which must be clearly named, recognized, and condemned. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has failed to do so thus far.
This year alone, the Nicaraguan government has forced the exile of more than a dozen priests and imprisoned numerous others. It has shuttered essential social services provided by the church, closed and expropriated Catholic schools, and expelled Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity from the country. Government officials, when asked why the residence permits of the sisters would not be renewed, responded that it was because the sisters had fed anti-government protesters during the 2018 protests.
While Latin America is not a monolith, and each country’s challenges are distinct, there is incontrovertible evidence of a dangerous regional proclivity for religious repression. Though Nicaragua is infamous for the sheer horror and visibility of these abuses, the silencing and sanctioning of people of faith in Mexico, Argentina, and elsewhere should raise the alarm regarding the state of religious freedom in the region. Most recently, the reelection of Luiz Inácio da Silva (“Lula”) bodes ill for the future of religious freedom in Brazil, with likely regional implications as well.
For too long the bodies charged with promoting and defending religious freedom have remained silent. On October 28, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights held its first-ever thematic hearing on the state of religious freedom in the region. This historical event, long overdue, will hopefully compel the commission — created expressly for this purpose — to take concrete action to stand up for believers across the region. Human-rights defenders everywhere should join the outcry. Latin America is experiencing a crisis of religious freedom, threatening not only millions of religious individuals, but also the future of democracy itself.