Issues in Nicaragua

Floor Speech

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Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of these Nicaraguan pastors, ministry leaders of Mountain Gateway, who are unable to speak for themselves.

I thank my colleague from Alabama for taking this time of the Special Order to discuss this issue, to bring it to the attention of the American people, and, really, to the world.

He has been a great champion on this, and there are many members of our delegation in Alabama, and, really, across the country, that are very concerned about what we have heard going on in Nicaragua and the situation down there.

Unfortunately, so many of the American people are very unaware of what the situation is just a few hundred miles south of our border here in the United States of America.

These leaders, as has been already mentioned, but it should be repeated. These leaders have been convicted by the Nicaraguan government on sham charges. They now face up to 15 years in prison and $80 million in fines each.

The arrests came after these courageous pastors led a series of revivals that were authorized by the Nicaraguan government. They were rounded up, and they were imprisoned shortly after a mass outpouring of faith in the capital city.

Mr. Speaker, it is an act of religious persecution that put these men and women in prison, these pastors, these leaders, these spiritual leaders, these ministry leaders. It is human rights violations that have kept them in prison.

Again, I am so thankful that we live in a country where we do not have to worry about going to prison. I think so many Americans take for granted all the many freedoms that we have in this country.

One of those main freedoms that we have is that we get to worship freely. We can worship freely, whether it be at an outdoor revival, whether it be in a large event, small event, or just being at home reading our Bible. We don't have to worry about being sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Myself, as a young boy who accepted Christ in my own life, I can now be in Congress, and I can be a citizen here in this United States and not worry about the threat of prison being hung over my head. We can worship freely whether it is to go to an outdoor revival, a program that was such as happened in Nicaragua, or whether it is to simply go to a small church service or just simply being at home with some other Christians sitting around, reading or praying the Bible together.

During this time when we are reflecting on what is going on here, I encourage the American people to reach out to their Members of Congress and to encourage them to do what they can to stand with those of us who are trying to call attention to this very serious issue.

This not only goes on in Nicaragua, but it also goes on in many other parts of the world, as well. Today, we certainly want to call attention to those pastors and ministry leaders from Mountain Gateway who aren't able to speak for themselves and be a voice here in the United States House of Representatives.

We ask for their release, and I would call on the Nicaraguan government to take action to address these indisputable violations and to free these men and women so that they can be returned to their homes and their families.

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