Overlooked persecution: The Latin American case

By Eliud Herrera, Director of Administration for Ministry Relations for Intercede International,

Persecution in Latin America is a subject that sometimes is not as visible as in other parts of the world. Many will argue that there is complete freedom in most of the countries, but there are certain spots in the area that call our attention and also some hidden persecution in others, so that we can say that in the common eye persecution is nonexistent. I would like to mention both aspects in this article so we can have a better view that I hope will cause you to pray more on behalf of our Latino brethren.

We can say that organized corruption and tribal antagonism are the two main engines of persecution in Latin America. But we can also add others not too visible to our list: Communist oppression, and aggressive secularism.

Let me explain. Organized corruption is characterized by underperforming governments, lack of rule of law, endemic corruption, and a large influence of criminal organizations that operate with impunity. For example, in El Salvador, while there is freedom of religion, in recent years the presence of gangs in the country has resulted in some pastors being assassinated by them because of their work of rescue and rehabilitation among gang members. Also, some crimes have occurred in or nearby churches – the killing of young people who are attending worship services.

It is worth mentioning that Intercede International’s Ministry Partner in El Salvador, New Life Ministries, works for the rescue and prevention of youth and children from being recruited by the gangs of that country. 

Tribal antagonism occurs when a revival of ancient traditions happens in an indigenous village. Then intolerance towards others that don’t practice those traditions happens. Peru, Colombia and Nicaragua are good examples of this kind of persecution. The indigenous groups living in isolated areas want to maintain their ancestral traditions, which by this time are a mix of indigenous paganism and popular Catholicism. So indigenous people who convert to Protestant Christianity face all sorts of harassment, exclusion, some torture, and ultimately displacement.

Communist oppression: Cuba is the major example of this, but others are also being affected, such as Bolivia – since its government in turn has a tendency toward 21st century socialism, which is a new tendency among leftist governments in Latin America. In spite of freedom of religion and association, these kinds of governments are all the time trying to find ways to discourage the Christian community from freely exercising the right to meet and fellowship together. For example, in some countries such as Cuba and Bolivia, the legal status of a church can be revoked, and others never approved without much explanation. Also new buildings cannot be constructed without government permission, and that can drag on for years, so the church may eventually abandon the process, or completely quit.

Lastly is secular intolerance. It expresses itself via a strong push for human rights and gender mainstream, which in practice reduces the freedom of religious expression. In this context we can add that also in the spiritual realm materialism and other things such as the influence of the world in our churches have become a very subtle form of persecution – because people let the fashion of the world influence their ways. It is very acceptable nowadays to be part of a church, but to continue to live a life not worthy of the Gospel.

There is a grim future for some Christians in the region. We cannot be surprised. According to the Scriptures, if they persecuted the Master, how much more can happen to His followers. But on the positive side, persecution brings people closer to God, and in many cases a revival occurs. 

I remember the civil war in my native country of El Salvador. I worked in the rural areas during those years. At the beginning of the war most of the villages I visited had people who had apathy toward the Gospel and were somehow enemies of it. At the end of the war, the same inhabitants of those villages were converted, and really practicing the same Gospel they had rejected before. 

The average numbers of conversions in some of those villages was astonishing. I remember the village of Loma Larga in which 95 percent of the population converted to Christianity.

The most recent statistics reflect that organized crime is growing and moving from Colombia to Central America and Mexico. The church itself has become a target, since the message of peace that it proclaims is contrary to the principles that crime stands for.

The revival of indigenous cultures is happening and is gaining new followers. This brings more persecution to the extent that some of the social services offered exclude Christians – hence causing more poverty bringing added suffering to the Christian brethren.

The new socialist movements also target Christians. The principle of the law says something, but in practice this is overlooked. Some segments of this movement deny the existence of God.

In summary, Latin America’s persecuted church risks being overlooked because the ways that persecution happens are not easily seen or discernible. It is a complex dynamic, and intertwined with the overall presence of lawlessness, violence, and poverty, so that it is difficult to the external observer to distinguish what is persecution and what is not.

We can also add that in most Latin American countries with some exceptions, persecution does not come from the state. Persecution comes in diverse manners from criminal organizations, revolutionary insurgencies, tribal authorities, or common people.

It is our duty to pray and intercede for our brethren in Latin America. They are also part of the persecuted Body of Christ.

Intercede News Service