REGIONAL ANALYSIS
Latin America and the Caribbean
By Paulina Eyzaguirre
The report on religious freedom in Latin America and the Caribbean encompasses research in 33 countries in four zones: North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. Fully one third of the countries examined (11) are in South America representing almost 66 percent of the region’s population. Each zone is different, and the report’s findings reflect more the situation on the continental region rather than on the island nations, given the scale of changes observed.
With similar and relatively homogeneous cultural and historical traditions centred on Christianity, the majority religion, respect for religions and different beliefs as well as interreligious relations between the various denominations have been largely peaceful in Latin America and the Caribbean region.
Normalisation of violence against religion and its representatives
Notwithstanding the present relative peace, respect for religions within certain cultural contexts particularly in South America have been perceptibly changing in recent years; prospects for religious freedom are positive in only two countries, Ecuador and Uruguay. ACN’s 2018 and 2020 Religious Freedom in the World Reports noted certain trends such as vandalism against churches, desecration of sacred sites and objects, and attacks against religious persons. This was not necessarily related to religion but moreover the result of common criminality or the consequence of the actions taken by members of the clergy to shield their communities from violence.
The 2022 report, however, noted a considerable spike in incidents by individuals or groups holding certain ideological views intolerant towards the religious beliefs of others. Attacks centred largely on the faithful of religious communities (i.e., Catholic and Evangelical) generally by pro-abortion and pro-feminist groups as well as groups promoting gender ideology. Incidents – in several cases crimes – including assaults on religions persons, acts of vandalism, desecration, or offences to religious sentiment were reported in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti, and Mexico.
Of further concern were attitudes demonstrated by certain governments, which appeared to turn a blind eye to the law tolerating attacks on places of worship and believers during public protests by either failing to investigate, or properly prosecute, the perpetrators of the criminal acts. In Chile, the president even pardoned a man convicted of setting fire to the Cathedral of Puerto Montt during a wave of social unrest in 2019, known in Spanish as “estallido social” (social outburst).[1]
During the period under review, 14 members of the clergy were murdered in seven countries: Bolivia, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. In some cases, the victims died trying to intervene during shootings in connection with ordinary crimes, but in others the growing presence of organised crime in rural areas left men and women religious as the only authoritative figures challenging dangerous trafficking networks, and the last resort for people fleeing from criminals.
An ever worsening social, economic, and political context
Increasing corruption, organised crime, and growing violence amid serious social, economic, and political crises have contributed to the changing of the religious freedom landscape. In fact, for the first time since the Latin America report was written, one of the region’s countries, Nicaragua, has been included in the category of persecution. This is due to the ongoing heavy oppression of the Catholic Church by the Ortega government whose actions include, among others, the expulsion of the apostolic nuncio and religious congregations, forcing priests into exile, stripping religious entities and bodies of their legal status, persecuting and harassing priests, besieging churches, the arbitrary detention of religious leaders and faithful, the shutting down of a Catholic television channel, explicit threats, and insulting religious leaders.
In Cuba and Venezuela, where the situation remains dire, human rights violations and repression continues against dissidents and members of the clergy. These are subjected to aggression, arrests, threats, and defamation in acts of reprisal for their support to opposition groups and for expressing opinions different from those of the government.
Several countries in the region have been in crisis for years with no solution in sight. The most tragic case is that of Haiti, which is experiencing the “worst human rights and humanitarian situation in decades”, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).[2]
While Cuba and Venezuela continue to suffer acute food and medicine shortages, other socio-political and economic crises are affecting Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Peru. In short, almost one third of the countries of the region – representing 30 percent of the continent’s population – are affected by protests and civil unrest resulting from a cost-of-living crisis, runaway inflation, corruption, a lack of judicial independence and impartiality, political instability, and debates over constitutional reform.
Widespread violence caused by turf wars, corruption and extortion involving gangs, guerrillas, drug traffickers and organised crime remains endemic throughout the region with Colombia, Haiti, Mexico, and Venezuela among the most extreme examples. Both targeted and indiscriminate violence breeds a sense of insecurity which erodes the conditions necessary for citizens to exercise their right to religious freedom.
Due to the instability, emigration is a major concern further weakening the region’s socio-economic prospects as it is most often the educated youth who seek better opportunities within Latin America and abroad. The pressure is greatest in those countries that border the crisis stricken Central American states, and in Mexico because of its border with the United States.
In many Latin American countries where the state is unable to provide adequate social services,[3] for the poor who remain, the Churches continue to play a key role. This is despite the risks to Church personnel providing humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable in impoverished and violent areas, especially in Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela.
Controversial new laws
Latin America operates as an echo chamber. When an issue emerges in one country, it almost immediately finds an echo amongst its neighbours, and spreads across the continent in a domino-like effect. This phenomenon has been witnessed with not only the spread of violent attacks against Church persons and buildings, but also with the introduction of controversial new laws – and implications regarding conscientious objection – regarding issues such as same-sex marriage, abortion, euthanasia, and gender identity among others. For example, plans under review in Costa Rica, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru, include revisions to sex education programs considering new gender identity ideologies. These revisions represent a challenge to the right of parents to educate their children, a direct expression of religious freedom in the educational field.
Finally, restrictions imposed after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic were eased in 2022 and eventually lifted. This was a momentous occasion for the faithful who again, starting in April of that year, took part in Holy Week celebrations in record numbers.
Endnotes / Sources
[1] “Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos – Decreto que concedió indulto particular a condenado por delito de incendio en inmueble habitado en grado frustrado, daños a bien de uso público y hurto simple en lugar de culto,” Boletín Jurídico del Observatorio de libertad religiosa de América Latina y el Caribe, Nº 4 (Year 18), January 2023, http://ojs.uc.cl/index.php/bjur/article/view/56679 (accessed 31 January 2023).
[2] “UNHCR calls on States to refrain from forced returns of Haitians,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 3 November 2022, https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2022/11/6363acd64/unhcr-calls-states-refrain-forced-returns-haitians.html (accessed 2 April 2023).
[3] Wendy Fry, “Asesinan a párroco en Tecate, Baja California,” San Diego Union-Tribune, 22nd May 2022, https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/en-espanol/noticias/bc/articulo/2022-05-22/asesinan-a-parroco-en-tijuana (accessed 2 April 2023).
