FoRB in Full

Claims of freedom of religion or belief in Nicaragua are greatly exaggerated

Posted on 23/04/2026 by cswpress in Latin America, Nicaragua

On 2 April, during a Maundy Thursday Chrism Mass, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes addressed hundreds of Roman Catholic Church leaders who had filled the Metropolitan Cathedral in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua. He delivered a full sermon, but one particular quote of his was seized upon by Sputnik World, a Russian state-owned news agency:

‘People have been able to approach their churches with complete generosity, with complete freedom, and are living their faith. I believe that is the most important thing.’

The next day – Good Friday – the state-controlled media outlet Canal 4 Nicaragua shared a photo of the cardinal leading a procession outside a church on its Facebook page. The post generated 248 comments, among which the following stood out, each receiving dozens of likes:

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Las afirmaciones sobre la libertad de religión o creencias en Nicaragua son muy exageradas

Posted on 23/04/202624/04/2026 by cswpress in español, Latin America ES, Nicaragua ES

El 2 de abril, durante la Misa Crismal del Jueves Santo, el Cardenal Leopoldo Brenes se dirigió a cientos de líderes de la Iglesia Católica Romana que habían llenado la Catedral Metropolitana en la capital nicaragüense de Managua. Pronunció un sermón completo, pero una cita en particular suya fue aprovechada por Sputnik Mundo, una agencia de noticias estatal rusa:

‘La gente con toda generosidad, con toda libertad, se ha podido acercar a sus templos y están viviendo su fe que, creo, que es lo más importante …’

El día siguiente – Viernes Santo – un medio de comunicación controlado por el estado, Canal 4 Nicaragua, compartió una foto del cardenal encabezando una procesión frente a una iglesia en su página de Facebook. La publicación generó 248 comentarios, cada uno recibiendo decenas de “me gusta”, entre los que destacaron los siguientes:

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‘Cuba needs more than words’: Why neutrality is not an option for religious leaders on the island.

Posted on 02/04/2026 by cswpress in Cuba, Latin America

‘It was terrifying for my children… they started crying and screaming.’

On Sunday 22 March, in Guanabacoa, Havana Province, Cuba worshippers, including several minors, at the Christ Center Missionary Alliance were attacked with stones and concrete blocks by a neighbour who reportedly works for the Ministry of the Interior, and who has a history of hostile actions targeting the church. The church’s Pastors Yoennis Cala and Dayana Gómez, along with their young children, experienced moments of panic when a neighbour hurled objects at their home.

The incident marked one of several indicators of a new wave of repression in Cuba – one marked by detentions, acts of violence, and actions targeting individuals linked to religious belief and public expression, and one that reflects a troubling pattern across different regions of the country.

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«Cuba necesita más que palabras»: Por qué la neutralidad no es una opción para los líderes religiosos en la isla.

Posted on 02/04/2026 by cswpress in Cuba ES, español, Latin America ES

«Fue aterrador para mis hijos… comenzaron a llorar y a gritar».

El domingo 22 de marzo, en Guanabacoa (provincia de La Habana, Cuba), varios fieles —incluyendo a varios menores— de la Alianza Misionera «Cristo Centro» fueron atacados con piedras y bloques de hormigón por un vecino que, según se informa, trabaja para el Ministerio del Interior y que cuenta con un historial de acciones hostiles dirigidas contra la iglesia. Los pastores de la congregación, Yoennis Cala y Dayana Gómez, junto con sus hijos pequeños, vivieron momentos de pánico cuando el vecino arrojó objetos contra su vivienda.

Este incidente constituyó uno de los varios indicios de una nueva ola de represión en Cuba: una ola marcada por detenciones, actos de violencia y acciones dirigidas contra personas vinculadas a la fe religiosa y a la expresión pública; un fenómeno que, además, refleja un patrón inquietante en diversas regiones del país.

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Small steps to justice: Why recent assessments of Sudan’s warring parties are significant, and how the international community must respond

Posted on 31/03/2026 by cswpress in Sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan

On 19 February the United Nations Independent Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on the Sudan published a report that found that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)’s siege and actions in the aftermath of the capture of the city of El Fasher in October 2025 bore the ‘hallmarks of genocide’.

Highlighting the militia’s systematic targeting of the non-Arab Darfuri Fur and Zaghawa communities the Chair of the FFM, Mohamed Chande Othman, said: ‘The scale, coordination, and public endorsement of the operation by senior RSF leadership demonstrate that the crimes committed in and around El-Fasher were not random excesses of war. They formed part of a planned and organised operation that bears the defining characteristics of genocide.’

Two weeks later the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended that the US State Department designate the RSF as an Entity of Particular Concern (EPC) in light of the ‘harmful effects to religious freedom and Sudan’s diverse religious and ethnic communities’ caused by the RSF’s campaign of mass atrocities and widespread human rights violations.

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