Global Christian Relief Red List 2025

Analysis 
 
Faltering States and Growing Churches: In Latin America, no let up from the power of cartels and criminal groups
In the Latin American context, particularly in countries like Colombia and Mexico, there is sustained evidence of pressure and violence from criminal groups, traditionally concentrated in rural areas but increasingly extending into urban centres. The violence stems not only from the presence of dominant criminal factions but also from conflicts and power struggles between them. This situation places increased pressure on the church, negatively impacting religious activities. Criminal groups often demand additional fees, and religious leaders crossing from one area to another risk being mistaken for informants.
 
In cases where religious leaders have a high social profile, their attempts to negotiate truces or initiate dialogue with criminal leaders can make them targets of attacks from rival groups. In Mexico, this has resulted in 46 killings, 250 Christian properties attacked and745 forced to flee. Meanwhile, lawless Haiti saw 59 Christians murdered, and in Cuba the government acts like a cartel though it isn't--a spike in the number of arrests and sentences to 156 has been noted.
 
In Nicaragua, Catholic churches-and more recently Evangelical churches--have faced a range of hostilities. Over the past three years, violations of religious freedom for political reasons have intensified. These involve the full use of state mechanisms to silence and penalise religious leaders and parishioners identified or perceived as opponents. This has led to the mass closure of places of worship, the arrest of priests and pastors, and, in some cases, their expulsion from the country and revocation of their nationality. Nicaragua came in third on the Red List for Arrests, with 226 incidents afflicting primarily Christian leaders.

In El Salvador, the situation is distinct. In 2022, there was an unprecedented surge in arrests of religious leaders and members of Evangelical churches. Those detained were predominantly pastors involved in rehabilitation programs, and former gang  members who had joined a church. This occurred in the context of the government's strict anti-crime measures, which cast suspicion on pastoral work with ex-gang members and resulted in arbitrary arrests under the pretext of gang eradication. However, recent reports indicate a decline in such arrests, and with the overall reduction in violence and insecurity in the country, incidents of gang-related violence targeting the church have also significantly decreased.
 
The 2025 Global Christian Relief Red List. Washington, D.C.