On May 15, 2022, evangelical pastor Efrén Antonio Vílchez López was arrested in San Rafael del Sur, Nicaragua, as he was leaving the funeral home where he worked. Several police officers beat him, without mentioning any reason or charges. They put him in a vehicle, and for three days, his family did not know where he had been taken.

He was transferred from the local National Police station to the National Penitentiary System at “La Modelo,” where especially dangerous criminals are incarcerated. There, the jailers refused to provide him with the daily insulin he needs for his diabetes and hypertension. He was on the verge of death and had to be transferred to a clinic for urgent treatment.

After more than four months in detention, Vílchez López was sentenced by a Managua court to 23 years in prison. He was found guilty of raping a young man with an intellectual disability, something that the NGO Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and other pro-democracy activists on the ground deny.

But why have the regime of Daniel Ortega and the co-dictator and witch Rosario Murillo targeted this man so relentlessly?

In reality, CSW has emphasized, he was attacked because of his influence since the 1990s, when he worked with more than 100 different churches and evangelical-Protestant groups to organize massive public events. “He also has a history of criticizing President Daniel Ortega and the actions of his government,” the British organization recalled. “During the (anti-government) demonstrations of 2018, he published statements on social media condemning the use of violence against the protesters.”

But the attacks against Vílchez López are not new. In 2017, he was beaten for verbally confronting the police who routinely surrounded his house, which left him with fractures in one hand. Another example that the Nicaraguan leftist dictatorship does not tolerate dissent. In this scenario, “for religious leaders like Pastor Vílchez López, preaching or praying for unity or justice during religious services is considered a criticism of the government and, therefore, a criminal offense,” according to CSW.

A few months ago, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Spotlight podcast emphasized that Nicaragua has been among the most repressive governments in terms of religious freedom for years. In 2025, restrictions persisted on various communities, including the prohibition of processions, surveillance and harassment of the clergy, and legal restrictions on faith groups.

USCIRF added that in some aspects, the level of repression is increasing, “as demonstrated by indicators such as the new imprisonment in June of a victim of violations of freedom of religion or belief, who had been released in January, and the death of two religious freedom advocates in Nicaraguan custody in August.”

Nicaragua ranks 32nd on the list of 50 countries compiled by the NGO Open Doors, where Christians “face high levels of persecution and discrimination.”

The courage to speak prophetically against injustice and oppression in his country has placed Pastor Vílchez López in a political storm. For this reason, the International Religious Freedom Roundtable (IRF) prepared a letter — which this writer had access to — to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The letter urges Washington to take humanitarian and diplomatic action to secure the release of the evangelical leader.

Concerned about the continued repression of religious communities throughout Nicaragua, the signatories (faith leaders, communicators, etc.) assert that the imprisonment occurs within the context of a broader campaign in which the Ortega-Murillo regime seeks to silence independent civic and religious voices.

“Credible reports indicate that Pastor Vílchez López has been subjected to harsh and degrading prison conditions” and has been punished for his religious identity and leadership, the IRF letter stated. He recalled that in 2024, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued a request for urgent precautionary measures on his behalf.

The IRF letter insisted that when governments attack religious leaders, “they not only violate individual rights, but also destabilize communities and erode the moral and social fabric that sustains peaceful societies.” This has consequences “at both the state and regional levels and, ultimately, affects the overall stability of the Western Hemisphere.”

For this reason, the letter asks the State Department to take several actions in the case of Vílchez López.

First, it calls for publicly and consistently demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the pastor and all individuals imprisoned in Nicaragua for their peaceful religious beliefs or activities. Second, it recommends continuing to prioritize Nicaragua as "a country of particular concern for severe violations of religious freedom and ensuring that U.S. policy tools — including targeted sanctions and diplomatic measures — are used to pressure the regime" for concrete improvements. Finally, it calls for engaging with and supporting Nicaraguan religious communities and other civil society actors who are being intimidated and repressed.

The IRF letter concluded by urging Rubio to maintain his commitment to religious freedom, “speaking clearly and acting decisively on behalf of those in Nicaragua who are suffering for their faith.”

Immediately after the operation that removed Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on January 3, Managua released dozens of political prisoners. To this day, Ortega and Murillo continue to release hundreds of people from their prisons. The pressure is working, and it could continue to yield results in the case of Pastor Vílchez López.