The Nicaraguan bishop Silvio Báez, denationalized and exiled since 2019, denounced this Sunday that the Nicaraguan dictatorship has perfected the use of exile as a central mechanism of political repression.
In a homily delivered in a church in the United States, the religious accused the dictators Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo of forcing the departure of thousands of citizens and of preventing the return of hundreds of others as part of a deliberate strategy.
“I think of my country, Nicaragua, where **the dictatorship has fiendishly refined the ancient method of Herod**. They don’t just force honest and innocent citizens into exile, but also prohibit them from entering their own country, confiscate their assets, and threaten and harass their families,” Báez stated.
Báez maintained that the repression does not end with expulsion from the country. According to him, Nicaraguan authorities **continue to pursue those already abroad** through surveillance, denial of consular services, and failure to renew passports, leaving many people in a de facto state of statelessness.
“**Spy on the exiles**, deny them consular services, or leave thousands of people in the grave condition of de facto statelessness by not renewing their passports. Even many of us have been deprived of our nationality intentionally and arbitrarily, as part of a systematic plan of institutionalized repression,” he reproached.
The bishop, one of the most critical voices of the Sandinistas since the outbreak of the political crisis in 2018, noted that the arbitrary deprivation of nationality, the confiscation of assets, and harassment of family members are part of a systematic plan of institutionalized repression. Báez is among the more than 300 Nicaraguans to whom the dictatorship withdrew nationality in recent years, according to data from human rights organizations.
The relationship between the Catholic Church and the Ortega and Murillo dictatorship has deteriorated rapidly since the April 2018 protests, which **left more than 300 dead**, according to the UN. Since then, priests and bishops have denounced persecution, arbitrary detentions and expulsions, while the Executive accuses sectors of the Church of supporting an attempted coup. These/Photo archive)
In his message, Báez linked the experience of exile with a spiritual dimension, noting that it can become a time of salvation and resistance. At the same time, he acknowledged the difficulties faced by many migrants in host countries, where they often encounter precarious employment, legal uncertainty, and discrimination.
The bishop urged Nicaraguan exiles to preserve their dignity, respect the laws of the countries that receive them, and maintain solidarity among displaced communities. He also encouraged them not to abandon hope or civic struggle, despite the impossibility of returning to their country in the short term.
Baez’s accusations come against a backdrop of increasing international isolation for Managua. In recent years, **the dictatorship has tightened control over civil society**, illegalized hundreds of non-governmental organizations, and closed independent media outlets, which has triggered new waves of forced emigration of journalists, activists, and human rights defenders.
During his homily, the religious leader extended his criticisms to the dictatorships of Cuba and Venezuela, political allies of Nicaragua, by stating that in those countries, too, thousands of people have been forced to flee for political and economic reasons. According to the Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants, more than seven million Venezuelans have left their country in the last decade.
Báez described these processes as part of a regional pattern of authoritarian regimes that use fear, expulsion, and loss of civil rights to stay in power. In his opinion, mass exile is not collateral damage, but an instrument to empty countries of opposition and fragment social fabric.
The bishop’s statements add to the claims of international organizations that have warned that **denationalization and exile constitute serious violations of international law**. Meanwhile, thousands of Nicaraguans continue to rebuild their lives outside the country, with the uncertainty of not knowing whether they will be able to cross the border that saw them leave.
**Bishop Silvio Báez**
**Nicaragua**
**RD/Efe**
English version translated with AI