Weakness of Statism Seen in Nicaragua Amid Attacks on Catholic Faithful
Like Venezuela, Nicaragua is making the world uncomfortably aware of what a disaster socialism truly is. But despite the bloody protests and a growing movement to remove Sandinista Daniel Ortega from power, common Nicaraguans are still far from reaching their goal. In the meantime, any group that speaks against violence is seen as an enemy of the state. And it is thanks to this policy of brutal oppression that it’s nearly impossible to be a Catholic in good standing and a Nicaraguan —unless, of course, you want the government breathing down your neck.
Much like Mexico during 70 years of brutal and violent persecution, Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, have targeted Nicaragua’s Catholics for their opposition to the state’s policies, which appear to be heavily backed by the communist regime of Cuba. But as the country’s youth turn to the Church for a philosophy based on the idea of human freedom, it is clear that under a totalitarian regime, faith is seen as a deadly competitor.
In a 2018 interview, Bishop Jorge Solorzano said that “it’s a crime to be a Catholic young person today” in Nicaragua. Because the Church protected protesters who ran to the streets to demand new elections, the contention between the Nicaraguan state and the faithful widened, putting both lay people and clerics in danger.
“[W]hen the regime started brutally repressing our most basic rights, the bishops and many evangelical pastors, as shepherds of Christ’s flock, started forcefully denouncing the evil and brutal repression,” said Lesther Alemán, 21, a Nicaraguan student who became the face of the Nicaraguan anti-government movement. “The regime then turned against the Church, directing its mobs to attack priests, ministers, and bishops, as well as to desecrate churches. They threatened the Catholic Church’s leadership with murder.”
But as Ortega refuses to back down, doubling down against critics, Nicaragua’s economy is the hardest hit.
With the growing tensions, the country’s tourism industry suffered a tremendous blow, and because of the instability brought about the protests and violent response, banks and investment firms withdrew from the scene. Finally, America imposed sanctions on the small nation, further worsening the economic situation on the ground.
As political prisoners rot in jail and Catholics are treated like enemies of the state, many flee, afraid of losing their freedom — and even their lives — if they stay.
In a 2018 interview, Bishop Jorge Solorzano said that “it’s a crime to be a Catholic young person today” in Nicaragua. Because the Church protected protesters who ran to the streets to demand new elections, the contention between the Nicaraguan state and the faithful widened, putting both lay people and clerics in danger.
“[W]hen the regime started brutally repressing our most basic rights, the bishops and many evangelical pastors, as shepherds of Christ’s flock, started forcefully denouncing the evil and brutal repression,” said Lesther Alemán, 21, a Nicaraguan student who became the face of the Nicaraguan anti-government movement. “The regime then turned against the Church, directing its mobs to attack priests, ministers, and bishops, as well as to desecrate churches. They threatened the Catholic Church’s leadership with murder.”
But as Ortega refuses to back down, doubling down against critics, Nicaragua’s economy is the hardest hit.
With the growing tensions, the country’s tourism industry suffered a tremendous blow, and because of the instability brought about the protests and violent response, banks and investment firms withdrew from the scene. Finally, America imposed sanctions on the small nation, further worsening the economic situation on the ground.
As political prisoners rot in jail and Catholics are treated like enemies of the state, many flee, afraid of losing their freedom — and even their lives — if they stay.
“With Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases exploding in the United States — with an estimated 300,000 to 437,000 new cases diagnosed each year and 10-20% of all patients suffering from chronic Lyme disease — Americans have a right to know whether any of this is true,” he said.
“And have these experiments caused Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases to mutate and to spread?”
But despite the congressman’s concern, Phillip Baker, the executive director of the American Lyme Disease Foundation (ALDF), told reporters that the lawmaker is pursuing a bad lead, calling him “terribly misinformed.”
“[Smith] would be well advised to check the facts by consulting the experts on Lyme disease at the National Institutes of Health or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] for accurate and reliable information before proposing such legislation,” he said.
In order to fully assess the government’s role, or lack thereof, in spreading ticks carrying Lyme disease, Smith wants the DOD to investigate. If something proves that research did happen, his legislation states, the Inspector General should then produce a report detailing the scope of the program and hand it over to lawmakers in the House and Senate Armed Service committees.
According to Bitten, scientists working with the Pentagon infected several insects, deliberately dropping them from the air during certain tests. The book also claims that uninfected bugs were also released into residential areas so officials had a better idea of how they would spread.
While the claims made by Newby may appear far-fetched, Smith is willing to press officials to find out more, especially because President Richard Nixon banned research into biological weapons in 1969. So if this program was, indeed, in place, Smith wants to know who put it into motion.
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