An American pastor wanted on dubious charges by the communist government of Nicaragua told Breitbart News on Wednesday that he believes his organization, Mountain Gateway, is the latest victim in a growing campaign to eradicate Christianity in the majority-Christian country.
Pastor Jon Britton Hancock explained that the Sandinista government told Mountain Gateway it was facing charges of “money laundering” and “organized crime” but has not published an indictment or clarified the alleged evidence backing the charges. Speaking to Breitbart News this week, Hancock confirmed that the Nicaraguan government is obstructing due process to such a degree that his organization does not even have the charging documents that say what crimes it allegedly committed. There is no public indictment. The imprisoned have been denied reasonable access to a legal defense. And the patterns of repressive behavior that Ortega has adopted against Christians suggest to Hancock that this is yet another case of Christian persecution in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua’s population is about 50 percent Roman Catholic and 33 percent evangelical Christian, with small minorities of other religions. As the largest Christian community and one directly associated with anti-communist resistance since 2018, the Catholics have seen a tremendous wave of repression: 97 priests exiled, universities and religious media shut down, the expulsion of the Jesuit order entirely, and the banning of traditional Catholic practices.
The Catholics are not alone, however: Ortega has shut down more than 3,500 nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations since 2018, a large percentage of them Christian. Hancock told Breitbart News that the atmosphere for Christians in Nicaragua is fraught with tension, as many fear that one wrong word could send them to prison.
www.breitbart.com
Pastor Jon Britton Hancock explained that the Sandinista government told Mountain Gateway it was facing charges of “money laundering” and “organized crime” but has not published an indictment or clarified the alleged evidence backing the charges. Speaking to Breitbart News this week, Hancock confirmed that the Nicaraguan government is obstructing due process to such a degree that his organization does not even have the charging documents that say what crimes it allegedly committed. There is no public indictment. The imprisoned have been denied reasonable access to a legal defense. And the patterns of repressive behavior that Ortega has adopted against Christians suggest to Hancock that this is yet another case of Christian persecution in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua’s population is about 50 percent Roman Catholic and 33 percent evangelical Christian, with small minorities of other religions. As the largest Christian community and one directly associated with anti-communist resistance since 2018, the Catholics have seen a tremendous wave of repression: 97 priests exiled, universities and religious media shut down, the expulsion of the Jesuit order entirely, and the banning of traditional Catholic practices.
The Catholics are not alone, however: Ortega has shut down more than 3,500 nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations since 2018, a large percentage of them Christian. Hancock told Breitbart News that the atmosphere for Christians in Nicaragua is fraught with tension, as many fear that one wrong word could send them to prison.
Persecuted U.S. Pastor: Communist Nicaragua Is Having a 'Massive Move of God'
An American pastor wanted on dubious charges by Nicaragua said he is the latest victim in a growing campaign to eradicate Christianity.
www.breitbart.com
