Chairwoman María Elvira Salazar Confronts Ortega & Murillo’s War on Faith at Religious Freedom Hearing

Washington, D.C. - Today, House Foreign Affairs Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairwoman María Elvira Salazar led a subcommittee hearing titled "Defending Religious Freedom Around the World," focused on the global state of religious liberty and the growing persecution of faith communities, particularly in the Western Hemisphere.

In her remarks, Rep. Salazar highlighted Nicaragua as one of the most severe cases of religious repression in the region and condemned the actions of the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.

"In our hemisphere, the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo leads the most brutal assault on faith, jailing pastors, attacking the Church, seizing property, and criminalizing belief. They want to replace God with their regime," said Rep. Salazar. "That is why I was proud to co-chair today's House Foreign Affairs hearing to defend religious freedom around the world and send a clear message: the game is over, a new era is beginning in the Western Hemisphere, and religious freedom will prevail."

Drawing on her experience as a former journalist who lived in Nicaragua, the Congresswoman cited documented abuses against religious communities, including the expulsion of more than 260 religious leaders, attacks on more than 1,000 Catholic churches, and the imprisonment of evangelical pastors for engaging in public worship and ministry.

She also underscored the importance of continued U.S. leadership in advancing religious freedom as a core pillar of human rights and democratic values in our hemisphere.

Watch full remarks here.

Chairwoman Salazar's Leadership on Religious Freedom and Nicaragua

Representative María Elvira Salazar has been a leading voice in Congress advancing religious freedom and human rights across the Western Hemisphere, with a particular focus on confronting authoritarian regimes that persecute faith communities, including in Nicaragua. She has consistently elevated religious liberty as a core U.S. foreign policy priority in the region.

In Nicaragua, the Ortega-Murillo regime has waged a systematic campaign against the Catholic Church and faith-based institutions, expelling clergy, shutting down religious organizations, seizing Church property, criminalizing religious activity, and jailing or forcing religious leaders into exile. As Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Rep. Salazar has raised these abuses in Congress and pressed for international action.

In January 2026, she introduced the Restoring Sovereignty and Human Rights in Nicaragua Act of 2026 (H.R. 7055) alongside Representative Chris Smith. Among its provisions, the bill raises international awareness of the human rights and democratic crises in Nicaragua and supports religious and opposition leaders and groups silenced by the Ortega-Murillo regime.